Never Let Me Go
by FuckTheReaper
Summary: 5 years ago, Jade West left Hollywood behind. No explanations, no reasons why. 5 years later, she returns, but something is different. She isn't the Jade that Tori knows and loves. Something horrific has happened to her, and Tori is determined to find out what. But when the time comes, will Jade open up to the girl she loves, or will she walk away like she did years ago? JORI
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! So this is my latest fic, an idea that's been eating away at my mind for a while now, and I finally decided to share it with all of you awesome people. For any of you who have read my first fic 'You Found Me', I promise this one is WAY better. Please be warned though, this one ****_will _****get very dark and heavy in parts. But I guarantee it will be a real heartwarmer once we get past the initial intro based stuff...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this one :)**

**Special shout out to Metatron85, just coz :)**

* * *

The night air sent a shiver down Jade West's spine as she stepped out of the taxi and onto a street that she once knew so well. Or maybe it was the fact that she was in familiar territory that made her feel as if somebody had just walked over her grave. Jade grimaced, remembering that she almost _had _ended up in a grave, _several _times in the last five years. The thought made the 'walking over your grave' statement seem somehow less amusing. Jade's right hand slid up the left sleeve of her jacket, her fingers running along the raised skin on her wrist and forearm. She didn't need to repeat the motion on the opposite arm, she could feel the scars tingling, a reminder of what she had done, of the horrors she had endured. How she had felt death breathing on her neck, telling her to join him, to put an end to her own pain and suffering. Jade had damn near done just that, until she finally remembered that she still had a reason left to live. If said reason to live still wanted anything to do with her, that is.

A slight tapping sound broke through Jade's thoughts and brought her back to reality. She turned around to find that the taxi was still parked there, and the driver was looking at her with a small smile on his face. Jade opened the door that she had just come out of, and poked her head in.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, shooting a worried glance at the sandy-haired Englishman. He couldn't have been much older than her, twenty-five, twenty-six maybe? The driver's smile grew and he shook his head, chuckling.

"Not at all ma'am," he answered, his accent thick. "You just forgot to pay your fare."

"Shit," Jade muttered, reaching into her handbag to find her purse. When she finally found it, she handed the guy a fifty and told him to keep the change.

"I would give you my number and ask you if you'd like to go out for coffee sometime," the driver began, shifting in his seat, "but something tells me that somebody else is already on your mind." Jade gave a small laugh.

"Well aren't you a perceptive one?" She smiled, slowly pulling her head out of the car. "I wonder if you considered that that 'somebody else' is a girl though."

The Englishman's jaw hung open as Jade once again closed the door. The raven-haired girl couldn't help but smile at what had just happened. The poor guy looked so devastated. And he was so kind too! As he sped off, clearly heartbroken, Jade's smile faded. Why couldn't life be as simple and carefree as that all the time? Jade would've given anything to be in that guy's shoes right now, driving around picking people up, taking them where they needed to go, and then doing it all over again. Simple. Easy. Painless. Except for those times where you got turned down by cute girls, but hey, it happens. And it would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with than the shit Jade was struggling to deal with right now. Yeah, getting turned down by cute girls would _definitely _be easier. Except for the fact that there was only _one _cute girl Jade wanted. And she just happened to be standing right outside her house.

Jade's palms grew sweaty and her pulse quickened as she realised where exactly she was. Okay, _sure _she told the taxi driver where to take her, but she didn't actually think he would take her there. Wait, scratch that. She didn't actually think that _she _would get into a cab and ask the driver to take her here. To this place. The one place she wanted to be more than anything, but also the one place she feared going to the most, in case she was told to get lost or something. What if she _was _told to get lost? It _had _been five years after all. But still, out of all of the people Jade knew, out of all the friends she had, surely _she _would be the most forgiving. Surely.

Jade stood staring at the front door for what felt like eternity. Finally, she reached her hand up to knock and then froze. What the hell was she doing? There was _no way _she could be forgiven after being gone for five years. And the way that she had left, no explanation, no goodbye, nothing. How on Earth could _anyone _forgive her? Maybe if she explained...No. It was too painful. No one could ever know why Jade left. Ever.

Sighing, Jade let her hand fall to her side. She was a fool to think that anything could ever change. She was a fool to think that the girl she had secretly been in love with ever since she had first laid eyes on her that day in Sikowitz's classroom eight years ago would ever feel the same way about her. There was nothing for her here. There never had been.

With tears in her eyes, Jade turned and walked away from the house that belonged to Tori Vega.


	2. Chapter 2

"She's not here," the bartender informed as Tori took her usual seat at the rear of the counter at Nozu. Or the front of the counter, depending on how you looked at it. Either way, it was far enough away from the rest of the people there that no one bothered to talk to her. Which suited Tori just fine. There was only one person she wanted to talk to, but that person just happened to not be here, and _hadn't _been here, for five years now. Tori sighed, defeated.

"I thought tonight would be different," she muttered, propping an elbow up on the counter and resting her chin in her hand.

"What makes you think tonight would be any different than the last five years?" the Japanese man asked, placing a glass of 'Ancient Japanese Secret' green tea in front of her. Tori stared at the glass, watching the ice cubes melt. Five years on, and they still served the same brand of tea? Nothing changes. The man cleared his throat, and Tori glanced up to see him watching her intently. She realised he was waiting for her to answer his question. She sighed again before answering.

"Tonight marks two years since...well, you know." Tori looked away, again focusing on her untouched tea. "I just thought...I dunno..."

"That she'd somehow sense that you needed her and come to your rescue?" the tea-man asked, a little too sarcastically. Tori narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know, sometimes you're not very nice," Tori snapped, ignoring the fact that that kinda _was _what she was thinking.

"I'm not here to be nice," the man said matter-of-factly. Seeing the expression on the girl's face, his own expression turned soft. "It's been five years. You've come in here every night asking me if she's shown up." He smiled sadly, feeling guilty for what he was about to say next. "Maybe you should just forget about her."

"I'm not gonna forget her!" Tori shouted, jumping up out her barstool. A few people standing nearby stopped briefly to see what was going on before shrugging it off and continuing their socialising. Tori's eyes were burning. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't cry. She promised herself she wouldn't cry.

The bartender raised his hands in defeat and murmured "suit yourself," before heading towards the bathroom. Tori gripped the counter, trying to control her breathing. How _dare _he suggest she forget about Jade West? There was no way in hell.

Just thinking about the dark-haired girl made Tori's knees go weak. '_If only she were here,' _Tori thought. All she wanted was for Jade to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. Because right now, nothing was okay. Nothing anyone said or did would make her feel better, not unless it was Jade. Nothing would feel right until she was in the arms of the woman she adored so much.

_'Who am I kidding?' _Tori told herself. _'There's no way Jade would ever feel anything for me. Yet, I can't help but keep loving her.' _She sat back down and groaned.

_'Why do I keep doing this to myself?'_

* * *

When Jade's crying had finally ceased, she pulled out her phone and dialled a taxi. For the second time tonight. She was shocked when she opened the passenger door to find the same sandy-haired driver as before grinning at her.

"Oh boy," she groaned, sliding into her seat.

"Hey you," the young man chirped, his grin growing wider. "Didn't expect to see you again."

"Yeah, you either," Jade said dryly, not bothering to look at him. She leaned her head against the window. The Englishman frowned, looking at her worriedly.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked. Jade turned to get a better look at him. His expression was dead-serious, all humor gone.

"I...yeah, I mean..." Jade sighed. He wasn't gonna let her not answer. "No, I'm not okay, alright? I've just come back here after five years of hell, ready to finally tell the girl that I _love _that I love her, only to realise that she probably doesn't even feel the same way about me and if by some miraculous chance she actually _does, _she's not gonna forgive me for just disappearing." Wow. Jade slumped back in her seat, not believing that she had just poured her heart out to some flirtatious English taxi driver that she'd met only hours earlier. The guy stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, clearly as shocked as she was. After a moment he asked, "why don't you just _tell her _why you left?"

"It's not that easy," Jade answered, staring out of the windshield.

"Of course it is." Jade glanced across at he boy, raising an eyebrow.

"If you had _any _idea what I've been through..." Jade growled. She slapped the dashboard, making the driver flinch. "You know what? I don't have to justify anything to you. You're just the taxi driver. I'm the passenger. So just shut up and take me where I need to go."

The man opened his mouth, looking like he was about to protest. Finally, he closed his mouth and began to drive.

"Where to?" he asked, all business. Jade thought for a moment. Finally, she spoke.

"Take me to Nozu."


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok guys, here comes chapter 3. Just a quick note here for readers, unfortunately my updates won't always be this regular as I'm at my best friend's house using her computer. But having said that, I visit here quite a lot so it may not be too long of a wait between updates. But you have been warned, just in case.**

**A shout out to ScottyBgood, who left the first review on this story. Thanks heaps, and I hope you stick with it. As I said, it's gonna be a looooong ride.**

**Let's go.**

* * *

Tori's eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of the dark-haired girl's presence. Nothing. She wasn't here. She wasn't coming and she never would. Tori's eyes began to fill with tears as the realisation hit her.

_'Well that's it,' _Tori thought. _'It's over. I guess I'll just go home and-' _The sudden sound of cheering and applauding made Tori look up. It was karaoke time, her least favourite part of the night. The pitchy, tone-deaf wannabes made her want to go and hide in a hole somewhere. But, she endured every painstaking moment of it, every night until closing time, just in case Jade showed up. Why Nozu? Because one, it was where the gang always used to hang out and two, Tori figured if Jade did share the same feelings for Tori as she did Jade, then she'd come to the place where they'd had their first unofficial "date". It was a long shot and Tori knew it. Would Jade really make the same connection to Nozu as she did? Highly unlikely, but it was worth a shot.

As the first person stepped onto the stage to take the mic and begin the torture session, Tori tuned out and began to examine her tea once more.

* * *

After paying the taxi driver (who revealed his name as Ern) for the second time that night, Jade stood staring up at the large red building with a black and white sign reading 'NOZU'. Why on Earth had she chosen to come here of all places? She could've just gone back to her new apartment, curled up in bed and cried all night. Okay, so maybe coming to the old sushi bar was a better option. Still, that bed...

Jade paced back and forth along the footpath, psyching herself up to go in. Seriously, why _had _she chosen to come here? A voice in the back of her head reminded her that this was the place Sikowitz had forced her and Tori to go on a "date" at, way back when. Though it hadn't felt forced to Jade. In all honesty, she had loved the idea of going on a date with the half-latina. She only acted as if she hated it in case Tori didn't feel the same way about her. Jade mentally kicked herself. She hadn't even asked Tori if she'd enjoyed herself that night, nor did she offer to pay for her meal, or offer to take her coat, or...

"Dammit!" Jade swore, throwing her hands up in the air. Why did it take her _five years _to realise that? God, she was slow. Although, despite her inability to remember all of those important things back then, Jade recalled that they _had _grown closer after that night.

_'Kudos to Sikowitz,' _Jade thought.

Still standing outside the large double door of the bar, which featured an image of both a pink and an orange nose, Jade took a deep breath. On the outside, she looked calm. On the inside, she was freaking the freak out. Her mind spun with questions; what if someone recognised her? What if her friends were there? What if Tori was there? Okay, that last one didn't bother her so much, but what would she say? How would they react? Would they even speak to her? As terrified as she was, Jade knew what she had to do. Would it hurt? Maybe. Would she wanna run away and hide afterwards? Most likely. Would it kill her?

_'Only one way to find out,' _Jade thought, stepping through the doors.

* * *

When the most recent karaoke-er finished singing (if you could call it that- she sounded like a screeching seagull), the DJ (who, much like the green tea, hadn't changed) announced a two minute break ("then, more karaoke here at Nozu, ya").

Tori sighed with relief. As hard as she had tried to ignore the agonising voices, tonight she just couldn't. The tea just wasn't distracting enough. Time for another sweep of the room. Her heart stopped when she caught sight of a dark-haired figure, about Jade's height, walking past the stage. When she turned and glanced Tori's way, however, she realised it wasn't her beloved. Damn.

Standing up, Tori decided she needed to use the restroom.

"Hey bartender, keep an eye on my drink would ya?" she called over her shoulder.

"Hai!" was the only response she received.

* * *

"Hey DJ, could you spin me a track?" Jade asked, standing before the skinny cap-wearing Asian guy. He was _still _here? Had nothing changed at all? Jade looked around. Same bartender, same lame-ass looking lyric display on the karaoke screens...Nope, nothing had changed. Except maybe the people here. Apart from the Japanese men, there wasn't a single familiar face in the crowd.

_'I guess some things do change.'_

"What song do you wanna sing?" cap-man asked, playing with his laptop. Jade looked down at the list, thinking. Finally, she settled on one.

"A zero one one," she answered, cracking her knuckles. It had become a recent habit of hers, whenever she felt nervous. If it wasn't knuckle cracking, it was a sudden itchiness everywhere. Arm, neck, forehead, chest, shoulder, leg. You name it. It also depended on her level of nervousness. Luckily, she was only singing. And there was no one here who would recognise her, at least she thought. So, only a mild nervousness. Hence the knuckle cracking.

"Alright, we got one person on before you, and then you sing okay?" the man said. Jade nodded and sat down beside him, waiting her turn. Nothing like a little karaoke to clear your mind of heartache.

* * *

**I know, I know, I'm dragging the reunion scene out a bit, but it's completely out of my control. I swear, sometimes the characters have a mind of their own and decide they're gonna do their own thing *coughJadecough***

**Next chapter I promise (You can hold me to that too, since I already have it written) :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I just couldn't wait for this one. All of the positive feedback so far has just gotten me on a roll. So, without much ado, here is chapter 4.**

**You're welcome :)**

* * *

Tori had managed to time her toilet break perfectly. She avoided hearing the whiny pitch of the karaoke regular, Nina, who had lain the title 'Nozu Karaoke Champion' upon herself. If only she knew how awful she sounded, she wouldn't be calling herself a champion.

Tori sat down just as the next song began to play. Oh great, a sop-song. Tori could tell just by the tempo and the way the crowd moved. Or rather, stopped moving. Turning away, Tori finally took a sip of her green tea. Knowing she wasn't going to finish it, she gently pushed it aside and folded her arms on the counter, resting her forehead on them. Maybe the singing wouldn't be as bad if she couldn't hear the person singing.

The sound of the music increased, and a voice began to sing.

_'Life doesn't promise a bed of roses_

_Or white knights'_

Tori's head shot up. She knew that voice.

_'Field of emotions, I'm trapped in darkness_

_Why me?_

_Save me_

_To win this twisted war inside me won't justify the pain_

_Life doesn't promise a bed of roses'_

No. Freaking. Way.

_'Lightning strikes_

_The pages keep on turning_

_Help me to be strong_

_I'm floating in a sea of strange believers_

_Where do I belong?'_

Tori stood up, knocking her glass over. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening.

_'They paint you a picture of perfect nowhere_

_Blue skies_

_Within every lie there's a web of comfort_

_For them, not me_

_To win this twisted war inside me won't justify the pain_

_They paint you a picture of perfect nowhere_

_I said lightning strikes_

_The pages keep on turning_

_Help me to be strong_

_I'm floating in a sea of strange believers_

_Where do I belong?'_

Tori took a step forward, needing to get closer.

_'Where do we go from here?_

_I wish I could disappear_

_I'm a lonely soul_

_So far from home'_

Tori blinked her eyes repeatedly, struggling to see thorough the tears.

_'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_And lightning strikes_

_The pages keep on turning_

_Help me, help me_

_I'm floating in a sea of strange believers_

_And where do I...'_

Tori pushed her way to the front of the crowd, watching the raven-haired girl sink to her knees.

_'I said lightning strikes_

_I said lightning strikes_

_Floating in a sea of strange_

_And where do I belong?'_

Cheers erupted as the song concluded. The woman stood up and took a bow. She froze halfway up as her pale green eyes locked with the half-latina's deep brown ones. Tori's heart pounded. Her mouth went dry. The dark-haired beauty straightened up and scratched her shoulder. Her eyes never left Tori's. She looked confused, as if she wasn't sure whether this was real or if she was dreaming. Tori could relate. Slowly, the girl broke the gaze and swept her eyes up and down Tori's tanned body, taking in every minute detail, committing it to memory. Tori found herself doing the same, drinking in every feature, never wanting to forget. Surely this was a dream. There was no way it could be real. Nothing good had happened to her in five years, good luck wasn't suddenly going to come her way.

So then why did Tori feel like God had just answered all of her prayers?

* * *

Jade felt like she had died and gone to Heaven. The love of her life, Victoria Vega, was standing before her, looking as angelic as ever. There was _no way _she could be in a place as horrific and evil as Earth when such a beautiful sight was in front of her eyes.

She had sang, hoping, _praying_ that somehow Tori would hear her.

It looked like her prayers had been answered.

She stared in wonder as she watched Tori stretch a hand out towards her, offering to help her step down from the stage. Or maybe she was trying to touch her to see if this was real. Or perhaps both.

_'Oh please God let this be real,' _Jade thought, reaching out to take the woman's hand. She held her breath, expecting the dream to end at any moment now. When Tori's finger's brushed against Jade's, Jade squeezed her eyes shut.

_'Please don't be a dream, please don't be a dream.'_

She opened her eyes.

And saw Tori's hand still holding her own.

Jade stepped down from the stage, still clearly in shock. When Tori released her hand and wrapped her arms around the pale girl's waist, pressing her face into her shoulder, Jade felt like she was going to die. Wait, hadn't she already felt like that just moments ago? Looked like she was dying a second time then. Take that, Buffy. She could feel her shirt slowly getting wetter where Tori's head rested.

"Jade," Tori whispered, gripping the girl tighter, making her die a third time. "You came back."

Jade could feel her own eyes beginning to fill with tears, tears she had held in for so long. She wrapped her own arms around Tori and pulled her so close to her that for a brief moment she felt as if they had become a single entity. She inhaled the scent of her hair, felt the curves in her back where her hands rested. Jade rested her forehead on the top of Tori's head and closed her eyes, smiling.

_'Thank you,' _she silently whispered to the gods.

* * *

**Alright, first of all, another shout out is in order (seriously? So many new readers. I'm shocked)**

**greenjadevega, this chapter is for you, and hey, you kinda guessed it right :)**

**On another note, for anyone wondering what the song was that Jade sang, it's called 'Where Do I Belong' by Anastasia. I just felt the song represented her really well in the current situation.**

**Also, in the previous chapter, when Jade gave the guy the code for the song she wanted, it wasn't a random sequence I created. It's actually the track number on the album that the song is on. A for Anastasia, and zero one one represents track number 11. Just some trivia there for you all.**

**As always, thank you and please review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**4 chapters in, and I already have 14 REVIEWS! Wow. I'm speechless. Compared to my previous story that has 13 chapters and 23 reviews (and still has a way to go) , I've got a feeling this one is definitely reaching more readers. Thanks to everyone who has been leaving all of the awesome reviews.**

**Now onto chapter 5. The intensity is building up, and the heavy will be coming shortly.**

**Lushcoltrane- Now that I think about it, there may actually be some small insight into her past sooner than I thought, but it's not the big revelation that we're all waiting for just yet. Keeping that one secret for a while :)**

* * *

Tori couldn't stop smiling. Every time Jade looked at her, she felt like her heart was going to explode from her chest.

Jade had come back.

She was here.

And she was still the same woman Tori knew and loved.

Except she wasn't. She had changed somehow. What had happened to Jade? Why was there a pained, haunted look in those beautiful eyes of hers?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jade's husky voice cut into Tori's thoughts, making her jump in her seat. They had relocated to a 24 hour coffee shop earlier, and now the raven-haired woman sat across from Tori, holding a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. There was an amused look on her face, and she had one eyebrow raised.

"Huh?" was all Tori could manage. Jade sighed and shook her head, frowning.

"You're staring at me like I'm some weird new animal you've never seen before," she said, staring into her coffee mug. There it was again. That sudden mood change. Jade had been doing it all night. One minute she was smiling and making Tori's heart melt with just a glance, and the next she was hiding her face and avoiding eye contact. Tori had noticed that it usually happened when someone was looking at her strangely. What the hell? Since when did Jade West care what anyone thought of her? What had _happened _in the last five years that had made Jade so self conscious? Tori didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to figure you out," Tori spoke softly, trying to comfort the woman. Jade's head shot up.

"What do you mean, 'figure me out'?" she demanded, squeezing her mug so hard Tori swore she heard it crack.

"I mean, you've changed somehow," Tori corrected herself. Jade's face turned white.

_'Oh boy, now you've done it.'_

"How so?" Jade asked, her voice shaking.

"Well, for a start, you suddenly care what people think about you," Tori pointed out.

"I've always cared what people think about me," Jade said defensively.

"Don't lie to me," Tori growled. Jade snorted.

"Well, _you've _suddenly gotten stronger," she taunted.

"I really haven't," Tori murmured, looking away. Jade kicked herself. She wasn't supposed to upset the girl. She was just scared that she would figure out her secret. No one could know what had happened that night five years ago. Especially Tori. It would destroy her.

Jade sighed and placed a hand on top of Tori's. The half-latina looked up and met her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Jade said, squeezing Tori's fingers. "I'm just...I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why?" Tori whispered. Jade averted her gaze.

"I can't."

"Again, why?"

"It's too hard," Jade answered, pulling her hand away. "I'd rather just forget about it." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the leather of her booth.

"I know _that _feeling," Tori said, mirroring Jade's posture.

"What?" Jade asked, straightening up.

"I said, I know that feeling," Tori responded, her face growing sad. Jade leaned forward and reached a hand out to touch her cheek, turning her face to look into her brown eyes.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, her expression serious. Tori tried to look away, but Jade's hand kept her from doing any such thing. Plus, that look in her eyes...Tori shuddered.

"Tori? Please speak to me." Jade's voice was frantic. Why did she sound so worried? And why was her hand wet?

"Tori." Jade's voice softened, and she began wiping away the girl's tears. When had she started crying? Tori shook her head, and her sobbing increased.

"Are you alright?" Jade asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer.

"No," Tori said through tears, "I haven't been alright for a long time." Jade's face fell. This was all her fault.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, letting her hand fall.

"It's not your fault," Tori sniffed. "Tonight's just a bad night."

"What do you mean?" Jade was confused. Was it because she'd come back? No, it couldn't have been. Not with the way Tori had held her, not when she had looked so happy when she saw that she was back.

"I know what you're thinking Jade, and it's nothing you've done," Tori said, wiping her eyes.

"What is it then?" Jade asked. Tori met her eyes with a look so sad that Jade made a promise to herself then to beat the living daylights out of whoever it was that had made her beloved feel this way.

"Tonight marks the two year anniversary of my Dad's death," Tori said with shaking breath. Jade's heart stopped.

_'Oh my God. And I wasn't here for her.' _Jade reached forward and took Tori's hand once more.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "What happened?"

"He was murdered."

* * *

**I'm a tease, I know...Brace yourselves for the next chapter. It gets pretty heavy.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, enough teasing. Here comes the heavy. Anyone who has trouble reading these kinds of scenes, please feel free to PM me for a summary. You guys have been amazing, thanks you all so much.**

**Side note: This entire chapter was formed after listening to the song 'Carrier' by Misery Signals, for anyone interested.**

**Also, my updates may be slightly less frequent after today (maybe once a week to a fortnight) due to the fact that I am using my best friend's computer to make updates etc. I'm usually here on a regular basis though, so hopefully I won't be keeping you lovely people waiting too long. SORRY!**

**Enough talking, let's go.**

* * *

2_ years ago..._

"Tori," a voice whispered in the dark. Tori pulled her covers over her head.

"Go away," she groaned. Slowly, she started drifting back off to sleep. That is, until a pair of hands took hold of her shoulders and started shaking her.

"Tori!" Trina hissed. "Wake the hell up." Tori rubbed her eyes and flicked her bedside lamp on. The sudden flash of light blinded the girl for a moment, and she blinked several times before regaining her sight. Trina knelt beside her bed looking worried.

"What do you want Trina?" the half-latina growled. "It's three in the morning."

"I heard someone downstairs," Trina whispered, gripping Tori's blanket.

"And?" Tori asked, growing irritated. All she wanted to do was sleep. "It's probably Dad having a late night snack."

"I checked his and Mum's bedroom already, they're both in bed." Trina's eyes were wide. She was clearly freaking out. Tori sat up and took her older sister's hands in her own.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she reassured the older Vega, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. "It's probably a raccoon on the roof." A loud crash downstairs made the girls jump.

"What the hell was that?" Tori asked, pulling back the covers.

"Well it certainly wasn't a raccoon," Trina answered dryly. Tori shot her a glare before climbing out of her warm, comfortable bed. So much for a good night's sleep. She started walking towards the door, but was stopped by Trina. Tori sighed.

"What now?"

"Where are you going?" Trina asked, that worried look returning.

"To get Dad," Tori snapped, stepping past her sister.

* * *

"Dad?" Tori whispered, hating that she had to do this. He worked hard all day, and now he was being woken up in the early hours of the morning instead of getting the sleep he deserved.

"Hmm?" David Vega answered sleepily, rolling over to face his younger daughter, eyes still closed. "What's up Tori?"

"Trina thinks there's someone downstairs," Tori said, crossing her arms over her chest. Man, it was so _cold_. Could she just go back to bed already? Her father's eyes shot open.

"Stay up here," he ordered, hurrying out of bed and grabbing his gun from its holster on the back of the door. "Do not come downstairs, no matter what."

"Okay," Tori said, thinking he was taking this a little too seriously. That being said, he was a cop, so it was kind of normal behaviour. Her father left the room and she heard his footsteps as he descended down the staircase.  
"What's going on?" another sleepy voice asked. Tori's mother sat up in bed and ran a hand through her tangled locks.

"Trina heard something, Dad went to check," Tori explained, leaning against the bedpost.

_'Speaking of, I should probably go and-'_

The sound of gunfire stopped Tori dead in her tracks. She heard a scream coming from her room.

_'Trina!'_

Tori raced out of her parents' room and straight down the hallway to her own. Another gunshot sounded.

"Shit!" Tori cursed, throwing open her bedroom door. "Trina?"

Trina sat in the far corner of her room, her knees pulled up to her chest. She was covering her ears with her hands, and crying hysterically. Tori knelt down beside her and wrapped her arms around her older sister.

"It's okay Trina, it's okay," she whispered, running a hand over the older Vega's hair.

There was another gunshot, followed by a cry of pain, shattering glass, and then the slamming of a door.

"Oh God," Trina moaned, "make it stop."

"Shh Trina, it's okay," Tori soothed, though she had no idea if it really was okay or not. Standing up, she told Trina to stay where she was.

"What if they're still down there?" Trina asked frantically. "What if you get hurt?"

Tori turned to face the woman who had been looking out for her her entire life. It was her time to return the favour.

"Better me than you," she answered, leaving the bedroom.

* * *

Tori's heart pounded with every step she took. Was the intruder still here? Why hadn't her father come back up the steps yet? Was he okay?

She froze halfway down the staircase, struggling to catch her breath. A hand on her shoulder let her know that her mother was still following behind her. She'd ran into her outside her bedroom. Holly Vega was coming to check on her two girls before going downstairs to make sure her husband was alright. Tori had refused to stay in her room with Trina, she had to make sure her Dad wasn't hurt. If anything had happened to him...

"Tori?" her mother asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she choked, still trying to breathe. "I'm fine." Her mother said nothing. Her attention was focused on something else. She stepped past Tori and walked over to the kitchen. Tori took a few deep breaths before following her. What was she _looking _at?

Her question was answered only seconds later when she ran into her mother's back. She'd never seen her look so pale. She followed her mother's gaze to the glass doors which were now shattered...

...and saw her father's lifeless body lying amongst the glass.

"Oh God," she gasped, clutching her stomach and falling to her knees. "Oh my God."

_'Dad...'_

"David!" Holly Vega screamed, running to her husband's side. "David, wake up. Oh God David, please wake up!" Tori crawled over to her mother, reaching out a hand.

"Mom," she choked out.

"Oh God David," her mother cried, rocking him back and forth in her arms. There was so much blood, Tori thought. She inched closer, trying to see her father. His eyes were wide open, his mouth hung open. A small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth and his chin. His bed shirt was soaked in more of the red liquid, and there were small shards of glass sticking out of his arms where he had fallen through the door. Tori turned away and squeezed her eyes shut.

_'Make it stop. Make it go away.'_

"David!" Now her mother was howling. She was losing it. Tori felt sick. She didn't want to look at her father's corpse again, but her mom needed comforting. Her maternal instincts won out, and she crawled over to her mother once more, putting her arms around her.

"Mom? Don't give up on me okay?" Tori begged, trying to see through the tears.

"He's dead!" Holly wailed. "My husband's dead!" Tori closed her eyes and cried into her mother's shoulder.

"Mom? Tori?" Trina called, running down the stairs. "Is everything o-_oh my God!_"

"Call the police," Tori choked, still leaning into her mother.

"O-okay," Trina stammered, staggering to the lounge room.

Tori felt the world collapsing around her. How could her father be dead? This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. Surely this was all a dream, and she would wake up soon. Somewhere deep inside though, she knew this wasn't a dream. It was very real. Her father was gone, and there was nothing on Earth she could do to bring him back.

_'I wish Jade was here.'_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the police arrived, followed shortly thereafter by the ambulance. The police asked questions. The paramedics took her father away. The three Vega women were treated for shock. Everything was a blur. Nothing made sense anymore. How could he be dead? He was Tori's Dad, the strongest man she knew. Her protector, her hero. How could he just suddenly be gone? Surely if he was really dead, then she would be too, because there was just no way she could go on without him.

The world faded to black, and Tori collapsed in shock.

* * *

_Present Day..._

She couldn't stop crying. No matter how hard she tried, the tears just kept falling. Jade's arms were around her, holding her tightly. When she'd moved to sit beside her Tori didn't know, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that she was in Jade's arms, right where she had wanted to be the night her father was taken away from her. Where she had wanted to be every night after that. And where she now wanted to stay forever.

"I'm so sorry Tori," Jade whispered, fighting back her own tears. "I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

**You have no idea how many times I cried writing this. And it only gets worse..We haven't even delved into Jade's past yet.**

**Stay tuned**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok, final chapter update for now (since I haven't got any more drafted just yet-onto that tonight).**

**Since you guys have all been so awesome and super supportive on this one, I'm making a special shout out to all of the reviewers so far:**

**ScottyBgood, greenjadevega, Sisi427, Quitting Time, Lushcoltrane, Metatron85, PenNamesAreThereForAReason.**

**And to any readers who haven't left reviews, I hope you're enjoying this. Still some heaviness in here, but nowhere near as intense as the previous one.**

* * *

When Tori's crying had ceased, Jade asked the question that was on her mind.

"Did they catch the guy who did it?" Tori nodded her head and wiped her eyes with a napkin. Her head was resting on the dark-haired woman's shoulder, and one of her arms were still around Tori's waist.

"They got him pretty quickly," Tori said quietly. "Turns out he was the brother of a guy Dad arrested a few weeks earlier for drug offences." Jade's arm tightened around the girl.

"You mean it was a revenge attack?" Jade asked in disbelief, looking down into Tori's eyes.

"Yeah," Tori said, dropping her gaze to her lap. She started tearing the napkin into small pieces.

"Hey," Jade whispered, placing her free hand over Tori's. Tori shook her head and looked up at Jade.

"I miss him Jade," she croaked. A single tear slid down her cheek and she wiped at it furiously. "Sorry, I'm just-"

"It's okay," Jade reassured, giving Tori a small smile. "Just let it out. I'll be right here."

"I wish you'd been there two years ago when I needed you," Tori mumbled. Jade's face fell. Her heart sank. She pulled her arm out from behind Tori's back and began cracking her knuckles.

"Why do you do that?" Tori asked, watching her.

"Nervous habit," Jade muttered, not looking at the girl. And how could she? After everything she's put the girl through. Her father was _murdered _for crying out loud, and she hadn't been there for her. She hadn't been there when Tori needed her the most.

"This is all my fault," Jade groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"No it isn't," Tori argued, putting a hand on her back. "You didn't know this would happen."

"It doesn't matter," Jade spoke into her hands. "I should've been here. I should never have left."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because I couldn't stay."

"That doesn't make any sense." Jade looked over at the brunette.

"I _wish _I could've stayed here, been here for you or whatever, but I couldn't. Jade sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why couldn't you stay?" Tori pressed. "What happened?" Jade's body tensed, and she stared straight ahead, not blinking, not breathing. She couldn't tell Tori, she just couldn't.

"Jade?" Tori's voice cut into her thoughts, and she could feel the girl's hand rubbing up and down her back. It was doing little to comfort the raven-haired woman. Not when her mind was being taken back to that night. Not when she was suddenly reliving the one moment she wanted to forget. Cold hands, hungry eyes...

"NO!" Jade shouted, suddenly standing up. A few startled customers looked up at the sudden outburst, decided there was no danger, and returned to drinking their coffee. Jade was shaking. Her skin was burning. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memory.

"Go away," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Get out of my head. Please just get out of my head." She heard a voice in the distance calling her name.

"Get out of my head," Jade repeated. _'I've been doing so well, don't fuck this up now.'_

"Jade!" Tori's frantic voice broke into Jade's thoughts. "Jade, answer me!"

"Tori, help me," Jade begged, gripping the table edge until her knuckles turned white. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her into a seating position.

"Could someone get her some water?" Tori shouted to the front counter. Turning to Jade she said, "Jade, open your eyes."

"I don't want to," Jade whimpered, gripping her hair.

"Jade, I'm right here, no one's going to hurt you," Tori promised. "Please just open your eyes."

Slowly, Jade obeyed Tori's command. Her eyelids opened and she was face to face with the most beautiful woman in the world. Lines of worry were etched into Tori's face.

"Are you okay?" Tori asked, brushing dark strands of hair from Jade's face. She looked so worried, so concerned. For her. For Jade West, the girl who left her behind five years ago with no explanation. The girl who wasn't there when her father was murdered. The girl who made a large part of her school life miserable.

Tori Vega was looking at her as if none of that mattered. As if she had never left.

As if she had forgiven Jade for every wrong she had ever committed.

Tears started falling down Jade's face, tears she had been holding in for so many years. Her whole body shook. Her heartbeat was in her throat.

"No," she choked. "No I'm not okay." She fell into Tori's open arms as her heart tore itself apart again. In an instant Tori was pulling her close and stroking her hair, trying to calm her down.

"I'm here Jade," she said, rocking the woman in her arms. "It's okay."

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Tori asked for the millionth time. After she had calmed Jade down and the waitress had _finally _brought them a glass of water, she had offered to give the pale girl a ride home. Despite her mood, Jade had still managed to make a joke about how she had finally gotten her driver's licence.

Now the two girls sat in her car looking out at a multi-storey building, which Jade claimed was where her new apartment was.

"I'll be fine," Jade reassured, "stop worrying."

"Easier said than done," Tori muttered. Jade raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, how did you get an apartment on such short notice?"

"Skill," Jade answered, winking.

"Seriously," Tori said, shaking her head. Jade sighed.

"It belonged to my uncle," she explained, "but he died when I was about fifteen. He left it to me." She shrugged. "I never really had a use for it until now."

"Oh." Tori drew out the word. Jade nodded.

"Yeah." She stared out of the window. She didn't want to say goodbye. Not when she had just gotten Tori back into her life. Sensing her thoughts, Tori touched her hand.

"Hey, I'll see you tomorrow yeah?" she smiled. Jade smiled back. She knew what the girl was trying to do.

"Sure. Another coffee date?" The half-latina nodded.

"Sure."

Jade's smile grew bigger.

"I'll call you."

* * *

Walking up the steps to her room, Jade was in two mindsets. She was still shaken over the incident at the coffee shop. She had fought so hard to suppress the memories of that night, and then in a moment of weakness, they had come flooding back. She would have to do something about that.

On the other hand, she had finally gotten Tori back. The woman she loved was still here, and by the looks of it, her feelings were somewhat mutual.

Jade smiled as she reached the third floor and stopped outside her apartment door. 3D. Thanks for the laugh Uncle Jim. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, switching the lights on. Panic suddenly seized her. She was alone, in a building full of complete strangers. And Tori had gone home.

_'I should've asked her to stay.'_

Locking the door behind her, Jade proceeded upstairs to her bedroom. When she got there, she fell face first onto the bed and fell asleep instantly, imagining herself in Tori's protective embrace.

* * *

Back in her own bedroom, Tori was struggling to fall asleep. She kept thinking back to that scene at the coffee shop. Jade had looked so terrified. What had happened to her? Something wasn't right.

Tori rolled over under the covers and tried to clear her mind. So much had happened tonight. Jade's return. The two year anniversary of her father's death. Her breakdown. Jade's breakdown. It was all too much. On the plus side, she'd be seeing Jade again tomorrow.

_Jade..._

Tori still couldn't believe she was back. It was a miracle. But why had she come back now? She'd been gone for five years, with no explanation, no goodbyes. Then when she was asked why she left, she had freaked out and said she couldn't say. If the reason she'd left all those years ago had terrified her that much, then why had she suddenly decided to return?

Tori groaned, hating herself for thinking too much. She just wanted to _sleep_. She was exhausted. And she wanted to be well rested before she saw Jade tomorrow. Somehow she didn't think falling asleep on the girl would go down all that well. Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea, falling asleep beside Jade, her arms around her, breathing in her ear...

Somehow, in the midst of all of her Jade-filled fantasies, Tori had finally fallen asleep, with a small smile on her lips.

* * *

**Well, there you go guys. Hope to update ASAP. Don't want to keep you all waiting too long. Watch this space. **

**P.S. Has anyone paid attention to the fact that the events of the last 7 chapters have all occurred in the span of only a few hours? Huh.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh my God, I disappear for a couple of weeks, and I come back to 18 FOLLOWS, 26 REVIEWS, 5 FAVES AND 1000 VIEWS?! I'm honestly speechless. I'm so overwhelmed. I actually have tears in my eyes. This is so incredible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much. It's even more special to me because today (October 10th, Australia time) marks the one year anniversary of the day that changed my life. I was in a really dark place, and almost took my own life. It was the hardest thing in the world to walk away from that and not go back to that place that I'd been stuck in for so long. Finding the strength to keep on going was even harder, and there were days where I didn't know if I was going to make it through. One year on, I look back on that day as a reminder to never give up, no matter how hard things get. I learned the hard way that there actually are people who love and care about you, no matter what you believe. It took me to almost taking my life to realise that, and even then it wasn't an instant realisation. I still have my dark days, but I know now that I'll never go back to that place, not ever. It's not worth it.**

**Writing this story has helped me to let go of some of that past negativity that I felt, and project it into something positive, something that I hope will inspire others, and show them that there is hope, if you just open your eyes and allow yourself to see it. That people do love you, if you open your heart and let it in. Don't be afraid of what others think, because most of the time they're actually thinking nice things about you, or worrying about you rather than judging. That's not to say that some people aren't judging you, but who cares about them? They're not worth your time.**

**To all of my readers, reviewers, and people who have favourited this story, again thank you so much. It's so very humbling to see such a huge response to something that is very close to my heart. As my way of saying thank you, I will be posting a further 7-8 chapters over the next couple of days. And then, I'll be away for another couple of weeks, writing more chapters, and then I'll do the same again. Heaps of chapter updates, break, updates, and so on.**

**Metatron85- Thanks for your shout out in your latest chapter of 'I'm Not Going Anywhere'. It's great to be back. And I'm glad you're still here with us too :) If any of you guys have not yet checked out this story, head on over there and read it now. You won't be disappointed. Oh, and while you're at it, read 'Edge'. It's without a doubt my single most favourite Jori fic of all time (though I think this one might be coming close haha. Cheesy, I know, liking my own stuff).**

**Now, enough from me, let's get into this next chapter.**

* * *

"So wait, you're saying that Jade is back, and you never thought to _tell us_?"

Tori rolled her eyes.

"For the hundredth time Beck, I was in shock," she argued. "I wasn't thinking much at all." Beck scoffed, leaning against the small wall in front of the stove in the Vega's kitchen.

"It never crossed your mind to take out your phone and go "oh hey guys, by the way, _Jade's back_"?" Tori slumped back against the red velvet of her sofa. She was really starting to get annoyed with the guy. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"Beck, c'mon, just leave her alone," Robbie intervened. Tori couldn't see him, but she assumed he was giving Beck a warning glare. It was funny, over the last few years it seemed as though those two had had a major role reversal. Robbie had become the group mediator, while Beck had become somewhat obnoxious and irritating. Irritating to the point where Tori almost wanted to punch him in the face. She smiled to herself. That was such a Jade thing to do.

"I'm sorry, has everyone forgotten the fact that Jade's been gone for _five years_?" Beck shouted. "I think we have a right to know where the hell she's been." He had a point.

"Doesn't mean you have to be such an ass about it." Trina's voice echoed down the staircase as she entered the room. Tori turned around in her seat so that she was kneeling on the sofa looking over the top of it at her older sister. The older Vega was standing with her arms crossed and an annoyed expression on her face.

"I'm not being an ass, I-"

"I can hear you from all the way up in my room," Trina growled, "and I don't appreciate you yelling at my little sister."

"I wasn't-"

"Beck, shut the hell up," Trina warned. Beck's eyes widened. "Seriously, just shut up. I've had enough of you treating Tori like shit."

"I wasn't treating her like shit, I was just asking her why she didn't tell us that Jade was back," Beck countered. "We have a right to know."

"The only right _you_ have is to shut your mouth and stop upsetting my sister or I'm gonna throw you out of this house," Trina said, poking Beck in the chest. The boy's face paled. He opened his mouth to retort, and then closed it again.

"Nothing to say now?" Trina asked sweetly. Beck shook his head. "Good, keep it that way. Or else." She stepped away from Beck, who was leaning so far back that he was almost laying horizontal, and walked over to Tori. The brunette stared at her older sister wide-eyed, her jaw hanging open.

"You okay?" Trina asked quietly. Tori nodded.

"I'm fine, are _you_?" she answered. Trina sighed and shot a brief glance at Beck, who was rubbing his back.

"I would be, if he stopped acting like a dick to you." Tori reached up and touched her sister's cheek.

"Just ignore him," Tori said with a small smile. "It's fine."

"He has no right to say those things to you," Trina hissed.

"I know," Tori agreed, "but there's no point in letting it get to you." She shook her head. "I don't get why he's so angry about it."

"Well, Jade _did_ kinda dump him and then disappear," Trina pointed out.

"He's moved on though," Tori countered. _'And I'm pretty sure Jade isn't interested any more.'_

"Doesn't mean it would hurt any less," Trina stated, "she did kinda leave abruptly." Tori looked away. She definitely understood the 'hurt any less' statement. When she finally realised that she was in love with Jade, it hurt a _hell _of a lot. And the fact that she wasn't even there...Yeah, she understood.

"Yeah," Tori sighed. Trina noticed the change in her sister's expression.

"Hey." She placed a hand on Tori's arm, making her flinch. "Did Jade say something to you?"

"Nothing bad, if that's what you mean," Tori answered, rubbing her arm. Trina watched her intently.

"Did she upset you?" The older Vega's face was serious.

"What do you mea-oh." Suddenly Tori understood.

"Well?" Trina still held that serious expression, but Tori could hear the fear in her voice.

"Trina, you know that's never gonna happen again," Tori whispered. "It was a moment of weakness. I was in a bad way. I'm fine now." She spoke the last part a little _too _defensively.

"That's what I'm worried about Tori, you're _not _fine," Trina said as tears formed in her eyes. "I can see it in your eyes, you're traumatised. You don't just recover from that, and certainly not in just two years."

"Trina-"

"I get it, okay?" Trina walked around the edge of the sofa and took a seat next to Tori. The rest of the gang had resumed their poker game that they were playing before Beck's outburst. "Trust me, I get it. I miss Dad every single day."

"Trina, are we really gonna do this while the others are here?" Tori groaned.

"They're not even listening to us, it's fine," Trina reassured.

"Fine," Tori sighed.

"Or not," Trina muttered.

"Sorry, I just don't wanna relive that moment," Tori said, running a hand through her hair.

"Me either," Trina agreed, "but you really need to talk to someone."

"Trina I'm fine," Tori said for what felt like the millionth time.

"I'm just worried about you," Trina whispered, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "You've been so down ever since we lost Dad, and now that Jade's back I'm just scared that she's gonna say something to-"  
"Jade's the only reason I didn't die last night!" Tori shouted, jumping up out of her seat. Trina stared at her wide-eyed.

"Tori, what are you-"  
"Dad's been dead for two years," Tori began. Her voice was still raised. "I can't handle it anymore. I hate waking up every morning knowing that he's never coming back. I hate knowing that it's my fault he's dead. If I hadn't waken him up that night-"  
"Tori, don't you dare," Trina growled. "That wasn't your fault."

"It is my fault!" Tori was practically screaming. "I'm the reason he's dead. And I have to live with that _every single day_. No wonder I tried to kill myself. You have no idea how much the guilt tears me apart Trina. None of you do." She looked over at her friends who were sitting at the poker table, jaws hanging. She locked her eyes on Beck. "You're all pissed off because Jade came back after five yars of having no contact whatsoever with you? Maybe she's been going through hell too. Honestly, you should be _grateful _she came back when she did, because if she hadn't, I'd have been bleeding out on the floor last night." No one said a word. All they could do was stare at the half-latina in absolute shock. Tori turned away from them and made her way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Trina choked out. Tori looked over her shoulder. Both Vegas had tears streaming down their faces.

"To go and speak to the girl who saved my life."

* * *

Jade sat with her knees pulled up to her chin, watching the tree branches sway in the wind. Tori had sent her a message asking her to meet her at the park, so now here she was sitting on a park bench waiting for the love of her life to arrive. Where was she? It didn't take that long to drive from her house to here. When she saw the brunette walking down the sidewalk towards her, she understood. A smile began to form on Jade's face as she stood up and walked over to meet Tori. When she saw the look on her face however, the smile quickly faded.

"Hey," she said softly when she reached the girl.

"Hey," Tori mumbled, staring at the ground, hands in her pockets.

"Are you alright?" Jade asked, reaching out to touch the girl's arm. Tori took a step back.

"Tori?" Jade let her hand fall to her side.

"I...I..." Tori continued to walk backwards until her back hit a tall oak tree.

"Tori, what's wrong?" Jade demanded, gripping the woman's wrists. She was trying hard not to flip out. Tori was really starting to scare her. And she still wasn't meeting her eyes. Releasing her, Jade placed a hand under Tori's chin and tilted her face until they were at eye-level. There were tear stains on her face.

"You've been crying, are you okay?" Jade's pale green eyes were full of concern. Someone, or _something _had upset this beautiful woman, and Jade was _not _happy about it. Tori shook her head. Her lower lip trembled. Tears started falling down her face. Before Jade could fully comprehend what was happening, Tori was clutching the front of her shirt and crying into her chest. But she wasn't just crying, she was having a full on _meltdown_. Her body was shaking so hard that Jade was shaking with her. Not to mention the fact that she was repetitively gasping, struggling to breathe. Slowly, Tori began to sink to her knees, and Jade had no choice but to fall with her.

"T-Tori, what's wrong?" Jade wasn't even _trying _to hide her fear now. She'd hit total freak-out mode.

"Don't you ever leave me again Jade," Tori choked out, tightening her grip on the raven-haired woman's now-soaked shirt. "You hear me? Don't you ever leave me again." Jade was speechless. She had never seen Tori so broken in all of the years she had known her. Words alone couldn't repair the damage that had been inflicted upon this poor girl. This girl who deserved everything, but had been given nothing but hell.

There was nothing Jade could do but to put her arms around the woman she loved more than anything in this world, and helplessly watch her fall to pieces.


	9. Chapter 9

**Alrighty, here comes chapter 9. I have to warn you, there are very explicit scenes in this chapter, and I mean ****_very_****. If any of you have trouble reading scenes about suicide and/or cutting, or are struggling with the same things, I advise you NOT to read this chapter, and to instead PM me for a summary. I can't stress this enough. I DO NOT want to trigger anyone or cause any unwanted pain. I know how bad it can be. So again, please, if you need a summary instead, let me know. I'm happy to tone it down in a recap for any of you.**

**Shout-out to PowerPlayer2010, my newest reader and reviewer. Thanks for joining us on this journey. Glad to see you enjoying this :)**

**Also, thanks to Sisi427 for helping me with the emergency call sequence.**

**Let's go.**

* * *

1_ year ago... (Tori's P.O.V)_

"Tori, are you alright? You haven't touched your meal."

"I'm fine Mom," Tori answered in a monotone voice, pushing a piece of broccoli around her plate.

"You don't look it sweetheart," Holly said softly, watching her daughter.

"I said I'm fine," Tori repeated, shooting her mother a warning glare. A frown crossed Mrs. Vega's face.

"Just let it go Mom," Trina spoke up, not bothering to look at her. She instead focused her attention on cutting her steak into tiny little pieces. Holly looked back and forth between her two daughters, finally resting her gaze on Tori.

"You know, you never speak to me anymore," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, well, you're hardly ever here anymore," Tori mumbled, setting her fork down. She slid her chair back and stood up. Her mother followed suit.

"I'm allowed to have a life you know Tori," mother Vega growled, crossing her arms. Tori gave a sharp laugh.

"Yeah, clearly," she said bitterly. "Dad's dead so now you can go and screw whoever-"

She didn't even have time to react. Her mother's hand moved so fast that she didn't even fell the sting of the slap until several seconds later. It wasn't until she felt blood trickling from her nose that Tori actually registered the fact that her mother had hit her.

Tori stared at the older woman in shock. Oh, her mother looked _pissed_. Her hand was still raised, and Tori stepped back, afraid she'd be struck again.

"Mom!" Trina screamed, shooting up out of her seat and accidentally knocking it over. In an instant, all of the anger faded from Holly's face and her expression turned to horror. Her hand fell to her side.

"Tori, I-" she began, but Tori wasn't listening. She turned around and ran straight to her room, almost losing her footing on the staircase. Slamming the door hard behind her, Tori started screaming. Her stomach was clenching so hard that it felt like someone was punching her over and over. Her heart rose in her throat and Tori fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself to try and stop the urge to throw up. Her body shook with every sob that escaped her.

"Dad," she moaned, "oh God Dad, please come back. I'm so sorry." She could hardly breathe, she was crying so hard. It was all her fault.

"I shouldn't have woken you up, it should have been me instead," Tori said to no one. "Oh God, Dad." An image of her father's lifeless body flashed before her eyes and she raced to the toilet, releasing what little stomach contents she had. Clutching the edges of the toilet bowl, Tori watched the blood dripping from her nose. She couldn't believe her own mother had hit her. She obviously thought Tori was a burden.

_'Well then why don't you remove yourself from the picture?'_

Tori recoiled from the toilet bowl, her back slamming against the door. Why did that voice sound so familiar? It had sounded like her own, but...

_'Your mother obviously blames you for your father's death.' _The voice that was her own, but at the same time not, continued to speak in her mind.

_'It should have been you, not him.' _Tori clutched her knees to her chest and stared at the ceiling with tears streaming down her face.

_'No one cares about you anymore,' _the voice teased. Tori shook her head. That wasn't true. Jade cared about her, right? Jade wouldn't let her die, would she? She was going to come through the door any minute now and save her, wasn't she?

_'You left Jade's mind the moment she left. Hell, she was probably glad to leave. She'll never have to see your murderous face again.' _

"No," Tori whispered, pressing her forehead to her knees.

_'You're worthless.'_

_'You're a waste of everyone's time.'_

_'You can't do anything right.'_

_'You deserve to die.'_

Something inside of Tori snapped. All of the expression vanished from her face. She felt numb all over. She stood up and opened the toilet door, and then made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, Tori wet straight over to the bathtub and turned the tap on.

_'Hot water to thin the blood.'_

Next, she walked over to the medicine cabinet above the sink and took out a bottle of sleeping pills.

_'Just to make sure you don't wake up.'_

Tori sat the bottle on the edge of the bathtub and went over to the second drawer underneath the sink. She rummaged through it for about a minute before finding what she was looking for.

_'Gotcha.'_

Tori sat the packet of razor blades next to the sleeping pills and began to undress, until she was wearing nothing but her underwear. She wasn't sure why exactly she had to strip down, but she figured it had something to do with quicker blood-heating time.

_'Well done princess.'_

Tori climbed into the bathtub and sat down. She instantly reached for the blades and opened the packet, pulling one out. Dropping the rest on the floor, she proceeded to open the bottle of pills and upend it into her mouth. She lost count of how many she swallowed, but it was well over the recommended dosage.

Finally, Tori drew her knees up to her chest once again, and lay her left arm across them. With a shaking hand, Tori pressed the cool metal against her skin.

_'Down the river, not across the bridge.'_

Tori nodded, signalling that she understood. She pressed down harder, until she felt a slight sting and saw a small trickle of blood. Slowly she began pulling the blade down the length of her arm, splitting the vein open. Dark liquid oozed from her wrist, spilling into the water, changing the colour from clear to almost black. Her vision began to blur. She passed the bade over to her opposite hand, and repeated the action on her right arm. Press, pull, split.

Now Tori's vision _really _began to blur. Dark spots danced before her eyes, and she began to slide down into the water. This was it. Tori was finally going to be with her father again. She smiled to herself as she went under. Her eyelids grew heavy. Maybe she'd get lucky and run into Jade sometime soon too...

Tori's eyes flew open.

_'Jade!'_

Tori waved her arms around, trying to find her way to the surface.

But it was too late.

The water had already entered her nostrils, and was making its way into her lungs.

Everything faded to black.

_'Dad, I'm so sorry...'_

Her body went still.

_'Jade I love you...'_

* * *

_(Trina's P.O.V)_

"Tori, open up," Trina called, knocking on her sister's bedroom door. After much arguing with her mother (who had then decided to leave- most likely to drink herself stupid), she finally decided to check on her sister. But, she wasn't answering her.

"Tori," Trina repeated, "are you in there?" Sighing, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Half expecting to see Tori curled up on the bed with her face buried in her pillow, Trina was surprised to see that the room was empty.

_'Where is she?' _she wondered. _'Maybe she decided to have a bath to calm down?' _Now that she thought about it, Trina _did _remember hearing a splash as she came up the stairs.

Stopping in front of the bathroom door, she knocked as hard as she could.

"Yo Tori! You in there?" No answer. Great.

"Tori, if you don't answer me _right now_, I'm coming in," Trina warned. "I don't care if you're naked." Still no answer.

"Alright, you asked for it," Trina shouted. She turned the knob and pushed. But it wouldn't open.

"Tori, _why _did you lock the door?" Okay, _now _she was getting worried. Tori never locked the bathroom door. Something wasn't right. Taking a step back, Trina crouched into a fighting stance. She took aim, and then kicked just below the doorknob. Success! The door swung open.

"Tori, what are you do-_Tori!_" Trina raced over to where her sister's body lay underwater, and jumped in to pull her out.

"Oh God Tori, what have you _done_?!" She dragged Tori out of the bath and lay her on the floor. She spotted the orange pill box out of the corner of her eye and picked it up.

"Jesus Christ!" she yelled. "What the fuck are you doing?" There was blood everywhere. Reaching for the towel rack, Trina pulled down the first towel she touched. She picked up one of the razor blades and tore a straight line down the middle of it, tearing it in two. She wrapped a piece around each of Tori's wrists and then rolled her onto her side.

"Come on Tori," she begged. "Don't give up on me." She took out her pearphone and called for an ambulance. It was deja vu. Only a year ago she was doing the exact same thing for her father. She wasn't about to lose another person she loved.

"911?"

"Yes, hello, I need an ambulance," Trina gasped. She looked over at Tori, her baby sister, lying lifeless on the floor. She wasn't giving up on her. Tori had to live.

"Where do you need the ambulance?" Trina gave the woman the address, trying to stay calm.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"She tried to kill herself..."

* * *

_Present day..._

Trina slumped back on the sofa, wiping away her tears. She had come so close to losing her sister that night. It had scared her senseless. Seeing Tori like that, inches from death...

And now Jade had returned, and Tori was saying that she was the only reason she hadn't died last night? What did that mean? And why Jade? More the point, _how _Jade? How could Jade have done anything to stop Tori? It didn't make any sense. Unless...

Unless Tori was in love with Jade.

Unless the sight of Jade alone was enough to bring Tori back from the edge.

Trina looked across at where her mother lay passed out on the opposite sofa. She sighed.

_'Sometimes, I can almost understand why you became an alcoholic Mom.'_

* * *

**So, a lot of background story here. Hopefully now we can get into Jade's past, at least a little. But, much like the rest of this story, nothing seems to turn out the way we want. So probably still a bit of a wait yet...**

**Okay, so now that we've all had that dark scene thrown in our faces, how about some lighter stuff hey? I promise, after the next chapter, there will be a couple of fun chapters to wind you all down and get you prepped for the next round of intensity.**

**Stay tuned.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay! Chapter 10! And still we're nowhere near the end. We're gonna tone it down a little for these next few chapters, after that major scene in the previous chapter. I ****_will_**** give a warning on this one though, because there are still some references in here that may cause some discomfort, but nothing like the last one. Better to be safe than sorry though.**

**Enjoy! Oh and make sure you brush your teeth after this one, coz Jade get's pretty darn sweet near the end. Don't wanna get sued for making your teeth rot or anything ;)**

* * *

"Now do you want coffee, or something stronger?"

Tori cuddled closer to Jade.

"If you move, I'll kill you." Jade looked down at her.

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be _my _line," she chuckled.

"Too bad," Tori mumbled.

The two girls were in Jade's apartment, sitting on the two-seater that had been left for her by her uncle. Actually, all of the furniture in the place had been left by him. Jade didn't have to buy anything. Except her new car.

"So um," Jade began nervously.

"What?" Tori asked, tilting her head to look up at the dark-haired girl. Jade looked at her and cleared her throat.

"Um, what were you upset about before?" She felt Tori tense up beside her.

"Nothing," she answered, turning her head away.

"Seriously Tori? You're gonna try to lie to me, after everything that just happened?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "I don't think someone has a breakdown like that over _nothing_." Tori shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"It's not easy to talk about," she whispered. Jade put an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey," she said softly. Tori sat staring into her own lap. "I spent three out of the last five years of my life in a psychiatric hospital, and I didn't tell them a thing." Tori's head shot up.

"Why were you in a psychiatric-"

"It doesn't matter," Jade cut her off. "The point is, I _know _how hard it is to talk to someone. I didn't talk to _anyone_. I didn't _have _anyone to talk to. You do." Jade locked eyes with Tori. "Tori, you can tell me anything. I promise. You can trust me."

Tori's heart skipped a beat. The way Jade was looking at her...There was so much _intensity _in her eyes. She knew Jade meant what she said. And she loved her for it. But how would she react if she knew what Tori had done? Would she still be willing to listen to her?

"Tori." Jade's face had that I'm-serious-so-don't-fuck-with-me look on it. Any other time, Tori would've made some kind of joke about it. But this was no laughing matter. Tori bit her tongue. She didn't know what to say. She heard Jade sigh.

"I was really hoping you'd just tell me so I didn't have to do this, but..." Jade pulled away from the brunette and rolled up the sleeves of her jumper. Tori gasped at the sight before her. Perfect lines ran across both of Jade's arms, all the way up to her elbows, and on both wrists were a single jagged line running down half the length of her forearms. It looked as if they had been re-opened at some point. Tori's jaw dropped. She looked up at Jade.

"Jade, what hap-"

"Two weeks after I left you guys, I tried taking my own life," Jade explained. "I was in hospital for a week, and then I checked myself into a psych hospital for a year, which did absolutely nothing." She took a deep breath. "Almost two years later, I tried again. Reopened the old scars, _and _tried hanging myself from a ceiling fan." She looked Tori square in the eyes. "I was in a coma for a month, and then went back to the ward for another two years, I got out two months before coming back here. I'm pretty sure whatever you want to tell me is nowhere near as fucked up as that. Except," she gave Tori a sad smile, "I think it might be similar." Tori blinked.

"I..._What_?"

"I saw your arms." Jade sat down next to the half-latina and took her hands.

"But...how?"

"When we were in the car, I saw you rubbing your wrists. I caught a glimpse of the scars." She looked at Tori apologetically. "I didn't wanna say anything, in case I upset you."

"Well, cat's out of the bag now," Tori muttered. Jade furrowed her brow.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No," Tori said. "Really I'm not. I just...I was afraid of how you'd react." She shot a worried glance at the dark-haired woman.

"Honestly, I'm going mental on the inside," Jade admitted, giving a weak laugh. "But I'm just thankful you're still here."

"I almost wasn't," Tori whispered. Jade squeezed her hands.

"But you _are_."

"That's not what I mean."

"Huh?" Jade was trying to process Tori's words, but it still made no sense.

"If you hadn't shown up last night, I wouldn't be here today."

"What do you-wait...You don't mean..."

"If you hadn't been there last night, I would've gone home and killed myself."

Jade stared at her in horror.

"Why?" she asked. "Tori, why would you do that?"

"Because I was missing my dad, and you weren't there." Tori inhaled sharply. "Every day, for the last five years, I sat in that bar, _waiting _for you to come back. For the first three years I wasn't entirely sure why, but on the night my dad died, it all made sense. I _needed _you there. All I wanted was for you to hold me and tell me it was okay." She met Jade's eyes, who were beginning to fill with tears.

"I realised I was in love with you Jade," Tori continued. "I still am. But I was so sick of feeling empty and disappointed when you didn't show up. Add to that the fact that Dad's been gone for two years and I was feeling guilty that I was still alive..." She squeezed her eyes shut and let a tear slide down her cheek.

"I thought to myself, 'if she doesn't come back tonight, I'm killing myself.' I couldn't live without you for one more day. I couldn't live with that guilt any longer." Tori's voice dropped to a whisper as she opened her eyes and looked at the raven-haired woman once more.

"I couldn't stand wondering what _could _have been between us. I kept thinking what would have happened if I'd stopped you from leaving. What if I had been able to convince you to stay? Where would we be now? I just...I just couldn't do it anymore." Tori's hands balled into fists and tears started falling down her face. Jade put an arm around her and pulled her close, placing the other hand on her leg.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pressing her lips against Tori's hair. "I'm so sorry I left you."

"Why _did _you leave? It was the same question she'd asked her _last _night. Jade knew she couldn't avoid it forever, so she tried to answer the brunette as best she could.

"Something...bad happened. Something that...I can't even begin to explain. It's too horrible. I just wanna forget it..." She looked up at the ceiling.

"That's why I came back. I thought you could make the pain go away. Nothing else I tried seemed to work." She felt Tori stiffen beside her. A small smile crossed Jade's face.

"Then I thought of you, and I felt the smallest glimmer of hope. I knew you were the one who could keep me from falling apart. You've always had that effect on me, even when you weren't trying. No matter how much I tried to convince myself it wasn't true." Jade pulled away from Tori so that she could look her in the eyes.

"I've been in love with you from the day I first met you. The only reason I was so mean to you was because I didn't know if you felt the same way and because I was too much of a chicken to tell you how I felt." Jade climbed off of the sofa and knelt in front of Tori, taking her hands.

"I'm not ashamed of how I feel about you. The only regret I have is that I didn't tell you sooner. Maybe all of this could've been avoided." She reached a hand up and brushed the hair from Tori's face. "And you wouldn't be hurting as bad as you are now."

"It hurts less when you're around," Tori sobbed, wrapping her arms around Jade's neck and leaning forward into her shoulder. Jade's arms wrapped themselves around the girl and held her for what felt like eternity. But she didn't care. Tori needed her, now more than anything, and Jade wasn't going to destroy that. More importantly, Tori had admitted to being in love with her. With _her_, Jade West, the most unlovable person in the world. Tori Vega was in love with _her_. How was that even possible? It was almost as if her luck had turned around. All Jade knew, was that she wouldn't let it go to waste. She would cherish every waking moment with Tori, and make sure to return her love tenfold.

She would never let Tori go again.

"Jade?" Tori mumbled against her shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired." Her arms stayed around Jade's neck, but they hung loosely.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Jade offered.

"No," Tori answered, "I wanna stay here."

"Alright," Jade whispered. "Let's get you off to bed."

"Carry me," Tori said sleepily, tightening her hold on Jade.

"Hold on tight," Jade ordered, scooping the half-latina into her arms. She carried her upstairs and to her bedroom. In what could only be referred to as the most awkward pulling back of the covers ever (she had had to do it one-handed, while still holding onto Tori and trying not to drop her), Jade finally lay Tori down gently on the mattress. Climbing in next to her, Jade pulled the covers up as far as she could, making sure Tori was completely covered. She didn't want her catching a chill.

"Comfortable?" Jade asked, touching the girl's face. Her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful.

"Mmm," Tori answered, rolling over, her back now facing Jade. "Hold me." Jade slowly inched closer, spooning the brunette from behind. Jade could feel her heart rate increasing. She'd always dreamt of this moment. This was far better than any of her dreams. She rested her chin on Tori's shoulder.

"Better?" she whispered.

"Much." Jade smiled.

"I'm glad."

They lay like that for several moments, both lost in their own thoughts. Tori finally broke the silence.

"Hey Jade?"

"Yeah Tori?"

"Is this really happening?"

Jade leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the half-latina's cheek.

"You bet it is," she confirmed. Tori smiled in the darkness.

"Good." Jade's arms tightened around her. Another moment passed, and then Jade remembered something.

"Hey Tori?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it's two years too late, but I'm here now," Jade promised. "I won't leave you again."

Tori smiled once more, drifting into unconsciousness.

"Good."

* * *

**Oh Jade...Can she ****_be _****any more adorable? Answer: Yes. Yes she can.**

**Next chapter: Pancakes!**


	11. Chapter 11

**You know how I said Jade can get even more adorable? Well, here it is. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

When Tori woke the next morning, she was shocked to find that Jade wasn't laying beside her. Panic seized her.

"Jade?" she called, sitting up in the bed.

"Well good morning sleepyhead," Jade greeted. She sat on the far end of the bed with an amused smile on her face. Tori rubbed her eyes.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she asked. Jade looked at her sheepishly.

"A couple of hours," she admitted. Tori laughed.

"Wow, that's almost Twilight standard," she teased. Jade smirked.

"Yeah, but I don't sparkle like a bitch," she said with a wink.

"Yeah, but you can _be _a bitch," Tori pointed out.

"Thanks a lot." Tori lay back and crossed her arms behind her head, smiling. She was so happy. Her she was, laying in _Jade's bed_, both of them casually teasing each other like a couple of lovesick kids. This moment just couldn't get any better.

"Hey, don't go back to sleep," Jade scolded, poking Tori with her foot. "Your breakfast will go cold." Tori looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

"You made me breakfast?" she asked, not convinced.

"Yeah, why?" Jade looked offended.

"Well _that's _something you don't see every day."

"Neither's a beautiful woman laying in your bed, but hey, there you are." Tori's cheeks flashed a bright red. Jade grinned at her, clearly pleased with herself. In an effort to change the subject, Tori asked, "So, what did you make me for breakfast?" Jade's grin widened, if that were even possible, and she stood up.

"You'll get your answer to that question," she said, walking to the door, "when I come back."

* * *

Once Jade left the room, a goofy smile crept onto Tori's face. This day just couldn't get any better. When Jade came back into the room carrying a breakfast tray, however, Tori was proven wrong.

"You made me _pancakes_?!"

Jade chuckled, setting the tray down on Tori's lap.

"Don't get too excited," she said, "I bought them pre-made in a packet. All I had to do was reheat them." Tori rolled her eyes at the dark-haired woman. Of _course_. She should have known.

"Well don't just sit there staring at them, eat up," Jade ordered.

"Aren't _you _gonna have any?" Tori asked. Jade shrugged and took her spot at the end of the bed once more.

"Nah, I'm good." Tori narrowed her eyes at her.

"What did you do to my pancakes?" Jade crossed her arms behind her head and leaned against the bed post, stretching her legs out near Tori's head.

"Poisoned them."

Tori sighed and shook, trying to hide her amusement.

"You're such a pain in the ass Jade," she laughed.

"You love it," Jade said matter-of-factly. Tori raised an eyebrow at her. Jade frowned and sat up straight, crossing her legs.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "can you forgive me?" Tori considered for a moment.

"I'll forgive you," she answered, nodding, "on one condition."

"Name it." Wow, Jade looked so serious. Tori was almost certain that if she told Jade to throw herself off a bridge right now, she'd do it without hesitation.

"You come over here and give me those amazing cuddles you were giving me last night." Jade's face softened and she smiled that heart-melting smile again.

"You don't have to tell _me _twice," she said, crawling over to the brunette's side. She turned around and seated herself next to Tori, putting an arm around her waist. Tori leaned into her and rested her head against the woman's chest, listening to her heartbeat. Her arm found its way around Jade's back and she gripped the edge of her shirt, holding her close. Jade tipped her head to the side and rested her cheek on Tori's hair, inhaling its sweet scent.

"This is nice," Tori mused, closing her eyes.

"You know what else is nice?" Jade suggested.

"What?" Tori had a feeling she knew where this was heading.

"Those pancakes I made you that you're letting go cold." Tori let her head drop, and she brought her free hand to her face, squeezing the bridge of her nose. Yep, she was right. It was all about the pancakes.

"I thought you said they were poisoned," Tori challenged.

"I lied."

"Well then," Tori said, straightening up, "I guess you wouldn't mind taking the first bite then." Jade glanced at her sideways, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I will if you feed it to me." Oh dear God, this was getting ridiculous. Jade was being a total pain. And yet, Tori couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment at the fact that she had brought out a lighter side of the girl.

"Fine," she sighed, pretending to be annoyed. "Open up." Jade opened her mouth and made a loud "aahhh" sound. Tori shook her head and cut out a slice of pancake, popping it into Jade's mouth.

"Well?" she asked as the raven-haired woman chewed.

"Actually," said Jade, surprised, "not bad. _You _try."

"I will if you feed it to me."

Jade's face broke into a grin. It wasn't of that you saw Jade West smile, but she'd been doing plenty of it this morning. Tori hoped it stayed that way. Jade reached past her and took the cutlery from her hands. Staring intently at the stack of pancakes, Jade cut off a piece and raised the fork to Tori's mouth. Tori leaned forward and bit into the fluffy, golden treat, shooting a smile at Jade, who returned the gesture.

"Y'know," Jade said, as Tori took another bite, "if this is the sort of treatment I'm gonna get, I should make you crappy breakfasts more often." Tori looked at her sideways.

"Don't get your hopes up."

* * *

"So fill me in," Jade said, flopping down next to Tori on the sofa, "what's everyone been up to?"

"Well," Tori began, "Andre's got himself a record deal." Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Has he made a record yet?" she asked. Tori shook her head.

"He's hoping to have one out next year, if all goes according to plan."

"Is he still living with his grandma?" Another headshake from Tori.

"She went into an aged care home a couple of years ago, but Andre's still living in her house."

"Cat and Robbie?"

"They're dating," Tori answered, "not that that's a surprise. Cat's landed herself some minor TV roles, and Robbie's been doing some local stand up comedy with Rex." Jade laughed.

"He _still _has that thing?" she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well, Rex is obviously important to him," Tori sniffed, defending her friend.

"Yeah, but it's a puppet," Jade argued. "And Robbie's like, twenty three now? I think it's about time he let go." Tori looked at her.

"When you care about something enough, you don't just let it go," she said softly. The corner of Jade's mouth turned up into a hale smile.

"I guess you're right." She nodded her head in agreement and turned away, drumming her fingers on the arm of her seat. "Trina?"

"She's been taking care of me and Mom." Jade's drumming stopped.

"What's wrong with your mom?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tori frown.

"Alcohol's kinda become her best friend."

"Oh." Jade wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Tori reassured. "After Dad died, well...that was her outlet y'know?"

"Doesn't make it okay though," Jade pointed out.

"Yeah, well, you can't change the past," Tori sighed. Jade tipped her head back against the sofa.

"Things would be so much easier if we could." She exhaled loudly. They sat in silence for several minutes, thinking of all the things they wished they could change, but couldn't. Jade broke the silence.

"How's Beck doing?" Tori looked across at the dark-haired girl, trying to read her expression. Jade remained blank-faced, staring at the ceiling.

"Fine," Tori answered, scratching the back of her neck. "He's been in some small TV roles like Cat, he's auditioned for some movies, and he has a new girlfriend." At that last statement, Jade straightened up. She looked at Tori.

"It's not Trina is it?"

"What do _you _care if it is?" Tori tried to hide the panic in her voice. Did Jade still have feelings for Beck, even after admitting her feelings for _her_?

"I _don't _care, and you don't have to worry," Jade said, guessing the brunette's thoughts. "I just figured it was her, since she used to always try and steal him from me. She was crazy about him."

"Yeah, emphasis on '_was_'," Tori muttered.

"What do you mean?" Jade asked, casually stroking Tori's hair. She paused and stared at her hand, silently condemning it for acting of its own accord. Tori just smiled and moved closer to her. Jade took that as a sign to continue, and resumed playing with the half-latina's hair.

"So, what were you saying about Beck?" she offered, trying to continue the conversation and not get _too _carried away with Tori.

"Oh, right, yeah, he became a bit of an asshole." Her smile turned sad.

"How so?"

Tori sighed. "After you left, he turned bitter. Started blaming himself, got pretty depressed. After he met Vanessa, his girlfriend, he was alright for a while. We thought he must've forgotten about it, or at least, wasn't as upset by it anymore. He'd moved on after all." Tori looked up at Jade, who was frowning.

"Then the day after you came back I told everyone, and he started yelling at me for not telling them straight away. Believe me when I say, Trina _definitely _put him in his place."

"Sounds like Trina's gotten pretty badass." Tori laughed.

"She had no choice, with all that's happened."

Jade's frown grew bigger. "Yeah, you know, I really am sorry that you had to go through all of that." Tori took her hand and squeezed it.

"I know, but I forgive you."

"I'm even _more _sorry that I wasn't there when you needed me the most." Jade looked so miserable, Tori hated it.

"But you're here now," she smiled, trying to cheer the raven-haired woman up. Jade shook her head.

"But I wasn't there when I should've been."

"You had your reasons." Again, Jade shook her head.

"It's no excuse." She was clearly growing frustrated. "There _is _no good excuse for not being there when you love someone." Tori's eyes widened.

"Did you just-"  
"Yes, I just said that I love you," Jade growled, standing up and walking to the kitchen on the left. "But what's the point in saying it? You're not gonna believe it anyway, since all I do is let you down." She froze in the middle of the room, her back facing Tori. :I haven't done a single thing to prove it to you Tori. And I hate that."

"Jade..." Tori whispered. She stood up and walked over to the girl, and wrapped her arms around her waist, pressing her face into the space between Jade's shoulder blades. She could feel the woman's body jerking as she silently cried.

"Jade," Tori tried again. "You don't need to prove anything. You came back." She gave the girl a gentle squeeze with her arms. "That's all the proof I need." Jade sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"I love you," she mumbled as fresh tears started to fall. Tori smiled and buried her face deeper into Jade's back, her own tears beginning to form.

"I love you too."

* * *

**You all just fan-girled/guyed didn't you? Didn't you?**

**You can deny it all you want, I can hear your squealing voices ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A huge thank you to each and every one of you amazingly beautiful people. You inspire me each and every day to continue writing. You keep this story alive. Words honestly cannot express the gratitude I'm feeling right now.**

**Metatron85- You're my rock. Thanks for sticking by me through all of this. You've been nothing but kind to me, and none of this would've been remotely possible without you. You're the reason I had the courage to start writing in the first place. This one's for you.**

* * *

"Tori, are you okay?" Trina's frantic voice echoed through the loudspeaker. "Why didn't you call me? Where are you? What's going on?"

"Trina, chill," Tori said, holding her hands up as if her sister could see her. "I'm fine. I'm at Jade's."

"_Jade's?!_" Trina shouted. Tori heard a quiet chuckle behind her. Jade was enjoying this _way _too much. If she hadn't been laying on the sofa in the woman's arms right now, Tori probably would've slapped her.

"Yes, Jade's," she answered, "I thought you knew that."

"I knew you we're going to see her, I didn't think you were _staying the night_." Jade buried her face in Tori's shoulder and snorted. This was _too _good.

"How you gonna get out of _this _one, Vega?" she asked the half-latina quietly. Tori just shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed you'd figure it out," Tori said softly. "I didn't mean to scare you." She heard Trina sigh on the other end.

"Don't worry about it," she finally said. Tori could almost imagine her sister running a hand through her hair, stressing. "As long as you're safe." Tori felt Jade's arms tighten around her, and her chin rest on her shoulder. She smiled.

"I'm safe, I promise."

"Good." A pause. "When are you coming home?"

"Never," Jade whispered into Tori's ear, earning herself an elbow in the ribs.

"Actually," Tori said, looking at the raven-haired woman over her shoulder, "I think Jade was gonna bring me home shortly." Jade's eyes widened. "I wanted to come and see how you were after my little outburst yesterday." Understanding crossed Jade's features and she nodded.

"I'll get the car keys," she mouthed, giving Tori a gentle push. Tori shifted forwards and sat up, allowing Jade to pass.

"Don't worry about it," Trina said. "We'll talk about it later."

"Too late," Jade called from the front door, jingling the keys. "We're on our way

* * *

As soon as she opened the front door, Tori was pulled into a hug by Trina.

"Trina, I can't breathe," she gasped, patting her sister on the back.

"Oh, sorry." Trina released the younger Vega and looked over at Jade, who was standing in the doorway with her hands in her pockets, looking awkward. She looked up at Trina and gave a small smile.

"Hey Trina," she said quietly, "it's nice to see you again." Trina nodded.

"Yeah, you too." Tori glanced back and forth between the two women.

"So...," she spoke loudly, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen over them, "It's getting kinda late. Jade, do you wanna stay for dinner?"

"Actually," Jade answered, looking mildly amused, "I was kinda gonna ask _you two _if you wanted to go out for dinner. My shout." Tori smiled and clasped her hands together. She looked at Trina.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked. "You wanna go?" Trina shook her head.

"You two go ahead," she said. "I'm not feeling too good." Tori frowned.

"Are you sure? We could stay here instead if you-"

"It's _fine_." Trina held up a hand. "Really. I'll be alright. Just go and get ready."

"If you insist." Tori turned and headed towards the stairs.

Once she was out of sight, Jade crossed her arms and walked over to Trina.

"You're not really sick are you?" she asked. She didn't look angry, just...curious. Trina sighed.

"No," she admitted. Now Jade looked confused.

"Then why-"

"I haven't seen Tori smile like that since before Dad died," Trina said. "She deserves to go out and have some fun, _without _me following her around all the time." Jade nodded, understanding.

"Listen, Trina," she started, "I just...I want to thank you...For keeping Tori alive when I couldn't." Trina's expression turned serious.

"It wasn't easy," she sighed. "There were a few times there where I thought she wasn't gonna make it..." She met Jade's eyes. "I wish I'd known sooner that you were part of the cure. I would've hunted you down and dragged you back here myself." Jade gave a small smile.

"I would've been kicking and screaming the whole way." At Jade's comment, both girls started laughing softly, not sure whether to take it seriously or let it go.

"I never thought I'd say this Jade, but I kinda missed you," Trina admitted. Jade grinned.

"I kinda missed you too Trina," she said, patting the older Vega on the shoulder.

"Nice to see _you two _getting along," Tori teased, coming down the stairs. She stopped at Jade's side and touched her arm, looking up at her. "You ready to go?" Jade smiled at Trina.

"Do I have your permission to take Tori out?" she asked, her smile turning into a smirk. Trina let out a small laugh, amazed at how sarcastically outgoing Jade was being.

"Sure," she answered, acting all parent-like. "Just don't bring her back too late."

"Aye aye captain," Jade said, saluting. Tori turned around and began dragging the girl towards the door, hiding her laughter.

"C'mon, let's get out of her before you hurt yourself," she giggled. She released Jade's arm and opened the door, stepping through.

When Jade was halfway out the door, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Jade?" Trina called softly. Jade turned around and faced the girl, who had become dead-serious.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"If you break her heart, I'll break you." Jade shot a brief glance at Tori, the love of her life, who was still walking to the car. _No way _would she ever hurt her. But on the off-chance that she _did_...

She turned back to Trina.

"It's a deal," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, let's get straight into this one. It's kinda shorter than I thought but oh well. The next one will be longer ;)**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

"I hope you eat _all _of that," Jade warned as Tori took a bite of sushi. "Since you hardly touched breakfast." Tori looked up from her plate and swallowed.

"That was _your _fault," she scolded, pointing her chopsticks at the woman sitting opposite her. "If you hadn't been a _shithead, _we wouldn't have had this problem." Her mind flashed back to the bedroom that morning. She and Jade had been taking turns feeding each other, until Jade decide to be a smart ass and stuffed a whole pancake into the brunette's mouth. _That _escalated into a food fight, which then turned into a tickling war, which _then _ended with Jade falling off the bed and bashing her elbow on the bedside table, and Tori laughing so hard that she almost had the same fate.

Jade crossed her arms and slumped back against the chair, smirking.

"You started it."

"Oh, _I _started it?" Tori scoffed. "_Right_. Says the girl who tried to stuff a whole pancake in my mouth.

"Says the girl who _threw _a pancake at me."

"Says the girl who tickled me so hard I couldn't breathe."

"Says the girl who pushed me off the bed."

"I did _not _push you off the bed," Tori retorted. "You fell."

"Pretty sure you pushed me," Jade said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes.

"How _is _your elbow?" Tori asked, ignoring Jade's comment. The raven-haired woman frowned.

"Well, it certainly isn't _laughing_," she answered, rubbing the sore spot. Tori giggled. Jade shot her a glare.

"Sorry," Tori apologised. "But it _was _kinda funny."

"It _hurt_."

"_You _were laughing."

"Yeah, until I _realised _how much it hurt." Jade was still frowning.

"Oh come on Jade," Tori said, poking her with a chopstick. "Don't be grumpy." Jade sighed.

"I'm sorry," she groaned, wincing. "It just _really _hurts." Tori's face became serious.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Jade shook her head.

"It's not _that _bad," she admitted. "Just...enough that it's annoying." Tori gave her a sympathetic smile and reached across the table to rub her arm.

"If you think _that's _bad," she said, her sympathy becoming amusement, "wait until you hear the karaoke singers."

* * *

After about three songs had passed (much to her discomfort), Jade turned to face Tori.

"You sat through this for _five years_?" Tori nodded.

"Yep. Painful I know." Jade crossed her arms.  
"_I'll _say," she agreed. "I'm surprised it didn't kill you." Tori laughed.

"You get used to it after a while." She turned her back to the stage, watching the next duo getting ready. Jade watched as her expression turned from annoyance to longing. She could tell she wanted to be up there.

"You should get up there and show them how it's done," she suggested, nodding towards the stage. "You'd blow them out of the water." Tori laughed and shook her head.

"I don't sing anymore," she said, still eyeing the stage. Jade looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" She was practically shouting. "Why not?" Tori turned her head and looked at her with a sad expression.

"I tried to get a record deal a few years ago, but no one would sign me." Jade's eyes widened.

"They obviously don't know a good singer when they hear one then," she stated dryly. "Still, it shouldn't stop you from doing what you love."

"Yeah, well it did," Tori sighed. Jade stood p and walked over to stand in front of the half-latina. She crossed her arms and looked down at her with her trademark 'I'm gonna tell you to do something so you better do it or else' look.

"I wanna hear you sing," the dark-haired woman demanded.

"Jade..."Tori began.

"Listen," Jade said, holding a hand up, "all I've heard over the last five years, as far as music goes, is the synthesised _crap _they played over the speakers in the ward to help us sleep." She met Tori's eyes. "I wanna hear something real."

The way Jade was looking at her...Tori almost caved. Almost.

"I can't," she finally said. "No one thinks I'm good enough."

"I do." Tori raised an eyebrow at her. Jade gave her puppy dog eyes.

"I'll make you pancakes if you do."


	14. Chapter 14

**OKAY, it's finally here. Sorry this took a little longer than I expected. You won't be disappointed though. Finally, we're getting somewhere...Or are we? Maybe, but not in the way you think. Or maybe it is in the way you think. I don't know, I'll just shut up now.**

**Oh, yeah, almost forgot. Shout-out to Sisi427. I'm sorry for teasing you constantly with this one. Now, you can finally read it. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"So wait, you're actually gonna sing?" Jade was in shock. She didn't think Tori would actually go through with it, even if she _had _been nagging her. Tori looked at her sideways as they walked over to the DJ who, surprisingly, wasn't donning his trademark cap tonight.

_'He must've finally decide to wash it,'_ Jade thought to herself.

"You wouldn't have let me say no," Tori said, answering the girl's question.

"Touche."

"_Plus_," the brunette continued, "your offer was kinda too cute to refuse." Jade smiled as they came to a stop in front of the DJ.

"No one can resist the pancakes," she joked.

"What's this about pancakes?" the DJ asked, looking up from his laptop.

"Nothing," Jade answered. "Tori wants to sing a song." Mr. DJ turned to face Tori.

"What do you wanna sing?" Tori stared at the list, studying it for several minutes.

"Mmm...that one," she finally answered, tapping the top of the list. Jade leaned over her shoulder and looked at her selection.

"Nice one," she said, nodding. "Great comeback song." Tori shook her head.

"Alright, you're up," DJ informed, starting the track. Tori gulped and stepped up onto the stage, taking the mic. She looked over at Jade, who gave her an encouraging smile.

_'Here goes,' _Tori thought, taking a deep breath.

_'All alone lost in this abyss_

_Crawling in the dark_

_Nothing to wet my longing lips_

_And I wonder where you are_

_Are you far?_

_Will you come to my rescue?_

_Am I left to die?_

_But I can't give up on you'_

Jade jumped up onto the stage, taking a mic and joining Tori in the chorus.

_'I feel you keeping me alive_

_You are my salvation_

_Touch you, taste you, feel you here_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_I feel you keeping me alive_

_You are my salvation_

_Hold me, heal me, keep me near_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_My heart will burn for you_

_It's all I can do_

_Salvation_

_Salvation_

_You're keeping me alive_

_You're keeping me, you're keeping me alive'_

Tori took a step back, allowing Jade to take the next verse.

_'Crawling out from under who I am_

_And who I wanna be_

_Held you tightly in my hands_

_Why are we unravelling?_

_Was it me?_

_Will you come to my rescue?_

_Or did I push too far_

_When I turned my back on you?'_

As the chorus kicked in a second time, Tori took Jade's hand and smiled.

_'I feel you keeping me alive_

_You are my salvation_

_Touch you, taste you, feel you here_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_I feel you keeping me alive_

_You are my salvation_

_Hold me, heal me, keep me near_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_My heart will burn for you_

_It's all I can do_

_Salvation_

_Salvation_

_You're keeping me alive'_

Tori and Jade turned towards each other, their faces inches apart.

_'Touch you, taste you, feel you, need you_

_Give it all, just to find you_

_Hold me, heal me, I will find you'_

The guitar solo kicked in, and Jade took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Her hand slid behind Tori's neck and she pressed their lips together in the most passionate kiss Tori had ever felt. The crowd started cheering as Tori wrapped her arms around the woman's neck, and Jade placed her other hand on the brunette's waist. Tori felt her skin burn, her body was _screaming _for the woman's touch. She had never felt more alive. _This _was what she had been missing in life.

Jade broke the kiss slowly, flashing a brief grin at the stunned girl as they raised their microphones to their mouths once more.

_'Keeping me alive_

_You are my salvation_

_Touch you, taste you, feel you here_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_Our love will never die_

_You are my salvation_

_Hold me, heal me, keep me near_

_Oh, oh, yeah_

_My heart will burn for you_

_It's all I can do_

_Salvation_

_Salvation_

_Touch you, taste you, feel you, need you_

_Salvation.'_

Cheers erupted once more as the girls took their bows and stepped off of the stage. The bartender gave Tori a thumbs up and mouthed "well done."

"That was fun," Jade gasped, catching her breath. "You were really-hey what's wrong?" She looked sideways at Tori, who had stopped walking. Tori gave her a small smile.

"I'm glad you came back," she whispered. Jade let out a laugh.

"Don't go all soft on me just coz I convinced you to sing," she said.

"I mean it. When you left..." Tori hesitated, trying to find the right words. "When you left, we all assumed the worst. We tried contacting you in every way we could. The Slap, texting, tweeting, you name it. We tried." She ran a hand over her eyes.

"But you'd deactivated _everything_. For a while there, I honestly thought you were dead." Tears started to fall down the girl's face. Jade looked horrified.

"Tori..."

"I was so scared that you'd died," Tori sniffed, trying to control her crying. She was tired of crying, yet somehow she'd been doing a lot of it over the last few days. Both her _and _Jade.

Jade opened her arms and pulled Tori into a protective embrace. Tori closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the warmth of the raven-haired woman's arms.

"I don't mean to sound rude or offensive here," Jade said quietly, holding Tori tight, "but I think maybe you should go and speak to a counsellor about all of this."

"I tried once," Tori admitted, "but it didn't help. I couldn't open up to him."

"Why?" Jade asked. Tori pulled back and looked at her.

"He wasn't you."

Jade's face softened. Before she knew it, Tori was being kissed once more by Jade. Her lips were still burning from the previous kiss. If Jade kept kissing her like this, Tori felt like her whole face would explode. That wasn't to say that she didn't want the woman kissing her though. She _really _wanted Jade to kiss her. But, unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end at some point.

This time, it was Tori who broke the kiss. Jade's eyes were burning with a desire she had never seen before. It was the look of someone who was completely head-over-heels in love. Tori smiled at her, holding onto the edges of her leather jacket.

"Thank you for convincing me to sing," she whispered.

"You know me," Jade winked, pulling Tori in for another kiss. "I always get what I want."

* * *

"So what are we gonna tell Trina?" Tori asked as the two lovebirds walked up the Vega's driveway. Jade gave her hand a squeeze.

"I think she already has a pretty good idea," she answered, stopping outside the front door. Tori smiled, shaking her head.

"I'm sure we'll find out just how much of an idea she has in a minute," she said, opening the door. "Trina, we're home." No answer.

"Trina?" she called again, walking over to the sofa. There she was. The older Vega was clutching a pillow to her chest, and tears fell down her face. Andre was sitting beside her, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

"What's going on?" Tori ran over and knelt by her sister's feet. Andre looked at her with a serious expression.

"It's your Mom."


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the wait guys! And sorry about that cliffhanger ending that I left you all with in the last chapter. It's only the beginning. That's right, we're about to head into the intense territory again. But hopefully this time, we'll get some answers. Only time will tell.**

**First of all, I've just gotta say, 51 reviews. Holy crap. How the hell did it get so high? I can't believe this. It's incredible. I can't stop smiling. And your reviews are just beautiful. Thank you all so much. I know I say it a lot, but I really do appreciate it. Each and every one of you are just incredible. I'm gonna make a shout-out here to all of my readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters (is that a word?) here, just because I can:**

**8haruka7, arilover, Azentra, BlondestEvr, BreakfastAtAriz, cherrprn4, DustFlight181, Ephainygrey, greenjadevega (you've been quiet lately, everything ok?), melymely, Ossiedavey, PenNamesAreThereForAReason, PuppiesWearingSunglasses, Quitting Time (hope you're well), ThatRandomAsian, Tigermty, Torben, vonzhiz, WeAreLife, Where'sTheFood, jasminehopesonja (congrats on being reviewer #50), ScottyBgood, theundeadhero95  
**

**And a very BIG shout-out to Sisi427, Lushcoltrane, PowerPlayer2010, and last but certainly not least, Metatron85. It's an honor to have you on board this bandwagon with me. Your words have inspired me so much, and given me so many more ideas to get this story picking up speed again. I love you all :)**

**(If I forgot anyone, I'm so sorry!)**

**...**

**So, now that that's all over, what happened to Holly Vega? Read on and find out ;)**

* * *

When they reached the emergency room, Trina grabbed the nearest doctor she could find.

"Where is she?" she demanded.

"You're Holly Vega's daughter?" the dark-haired man asked, all business-like.

"Yeah, and this is her _other _daughter, Tori." She motioned towards her sister, who stood behind her holding Jade's hand. The doctor looked between the two sisters and began walking.

"Come with me," he said. The sisters Vega followed him, along with Jade and Andre, who remained silent.

"She's in here," the doctor informed, stopping in front of a small room four doors down the hall on the left. He looked over at Jade and Andre. "Although technically visiting hours are over, so you two will have to stay out here." Andre crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I don't mind," he said. Tori looked across at Jade worriedly.

"I'll be fine," the dark-haired woman smiled. "Just go make sure your mom's okay. I'll be right here when you get back."

"You ready?" the doc asked, opening the door. Tori and Trina nodded. The doctor walked away and the two sisters walked into their mother's room, leaving Jade and Andre all alone.

* * *

"Hey Mom," Tori croaked, walking over to her mother's side. The woman's head was bandaged, and she was hooked up to an IV drip. She sat up at her daughter's approach.

"You came," she said, looking surprised. Trina stood at the foot of the bed, crossing her arms.

"Of course we did, you're our mother," she spoke quietly. The worry was clearly visible in her eyes, but she held an edge of anger in her voice. Tori gently brushed her mother's bandages with her fingers.

"How's your head?" She asked.

"Sore," Holly admitted, "but I'll manage."

"Mom, you really need to stop drinking," Trina said seriously. "It's not doing you any good."

"I only had _one _drink," mother Vega argued. Trina raised an eyebrow at her. "Or ten."

Tori growled, and threw her hands up in the air.

"This is ridiculous!" she shouted. "You _need _to _stop_! You're gonna get yourself killed I swear. One day you're gonna step out in front of a car or something and that'll be the end of you." She balled her hands into fists and paced around the room, resisting the urge to punch something.

"Didn't you once wish for the same thing?" Holly accused. Tori stopped moving. She whirled around to face the woman she called her mother.

"What did you say?" she demanded. Holly's face stayed blank.

"I said, didn't you once wish for the same thing?"

"I never wished I'd get run over by a car."

"You wished you were dead," Mrs. Vega countered. Tori shot a brief glance at Trina. This was unsafe territory.

"Mom," Tori said seriously, "that's behind me now." Her mother turned her head and gave her a look of pure hatred, chilling her to the bone.

"I wish you _had _died," she snarled. Tori's heart stopped. She backed away slowly, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Mum," Trina warned. "Watch your mouth."

"It should've been you, not David."

_'No.' _It was as if all of her worst fears were coming true. This couldn't be happening.

"Tori, don't listen to her," Trina begged, "it's the alcohol talking."

"No, I mean it," Holly growled, her voice rising with every word she spoke. "You ruined my life Tori. I can't stand the sight of you anymore. You've not only killed you father, but now you've killed your own mother too!"

"Mom!" Trina screamed. "Stop it!"

The world that Tori had slowly begun rebuilding for herself was crushed before her very eyes. Her own mother, her own flesh and blood, the woman who had _given her life_, wished she was dead. The flame burned out.

"Well then," she said, not recognising her own voice. It had become hollow, lifeless. "I guess I'll just go and finish what I started one year ago." With tears falling down her face, Tori turned on her heel and ran towards the door, towards the beginning of her end.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade and Andre were awkwardly standing next to each other in the waiting room, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

Jade finally caved.

"Andre, I-"

"It's fine Jade," Andre cut her off. "I'm not gonna get mad at you. I don't know what happened, or why you left, but it had to have been a damn good reason for you to be gone for five whole years. I know you." The dark-skinned man looked her squarely in the eyes. "I know you wouldn't just leave us for nothing. I just hope...I just hope you don't do it again." There was a pained look in the boy's eyes. Jade swallowed hard.

"Not that I would, but why do _you _care?" she asked. Andre stared off into the distance.

"Tori's gone through _hell_ since you've been gone," he whispered, shaking his head. "I'm surprised she's still here to be honest." He turned back to the dark-haired woman.

"You've been back for what, three days?" he questioned. "And I can already seeing the light returning to Tori's eyes. If you weren't here...I don't think she would've survived much longer. You're special to her Jade." He smiled. "And I can tell she's special to you too." Jade returned the smile.

"Yeah, she-"

Her words were cut off by the sound of a door being thrown open, and the sight of her girlfriend's horrified form running through it.

"Tori, what's wrong?" she demanded, racing over to her. Tori shoved her out of the way and kept running, straight down the hall.

"Tori, wait!" Trina called, coming through the door next. Jade took hold of her arm and squeezed tightly.

"What the hell happened?" she roared, catching the attention of several onlookers. Trina started crying.

"M-mom happened," she stammered. "She told Tori that she wished it had been her who died instead of Dad, that it's her fault he's dead." Jade froze.

"What about Tori?" Andre asked. "Where is she running to?"

"She's going to kill herself!"

_'No.' _Jade's heart started pounding. She released Trina.

_'No _fucking _way. I'm _not_ going to lose her.'_

Jade ran.

* * *

**.**

**..**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**!HOLLY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SASDJDFKHADJKFHAJKSDFHUIEFHKJDFHKASDKJHAJKFHDB**

**I swear guys, this one was completely out of my control. I honestly was not expecting this to happen. So now, once again, I must fix this...**

**Stay tuned (if you don't all hate me by now, haha)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! So I'm back! A lot sooner than I thought but hey, I'm not complaining (and I don't think you guys are either)**

**Let's get straight into this, I'm shutting up now.**

* * *

Jade ran, as fast as her legs would carry her. When it felt as if they were going to give out on her, she pushed harder. She had to reach Tori, she had to. If anything happened to her, if she lost her...

Jade pushed herself to move faster, _needing _herself to move faster. If she was too late, if she didn't make it to her girlfriend in time, it was all over. She _needed _Tori. The last three nights had been nightmare-free because of the half-latina. For those memories to suddenly come flooding back now...

* * *

_5 years ago..._

"_Jadelyn_," he whispered, walking over to where she lay bound and gagged. "What a pleasant surprise to see you." His eyes held the look of a junkie about to get his next fix. She tried to scream. She tried to untangle the ropes around her hands and feet.

"Stop moving!" he barked, kicking her in the side. Jade grunted, sliding back an inch. She stopped moving. If he kicked her again, something was bound to break. He _was _wearing steel caps after all.

"That's better," he said, pulling a sadist's smile at her. He snapped his fingers. Two others emerged from the shadows, with hungry looks in their eyes.

He knelt down in front of her, and pulled her up by the hair. He licked his lips. The two behind him stepped forward, forming a half circle around her.

Jade hated him, hated him so much. If only she wasn't so afraid of him. Maybe she would be able to fight him back.

The man smiled at her, and the two beside him laughed.

"Time for your graduation gift."

* * *

_Present day..._

"No!" Jade screamed, forcing the thoughts aside. She would _not _let those assholes fuck with her head, not when Tori needed her. Where _was _she?

"Oh God, please don't be dead."

She burst through the front doors of the hospital and scanned the area, searching for any sign of the brunette girl. There. There she was. Jade ran towards her, stretching out a hand. She was _so _close. Tori stepped out onto the road, into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

"Tori, _no_!"

Her arms wrapped themselves around the girl's waist just in time and she pulled her back onto the pavement, feeling a rush of wind as the car sped past. The driver shouted something at them, but Jade wasn't listening. She was too focused on turning Tori around so that she couldn't run back onto the road again.

"Tori, what the hell?!" she shrieked, shaking her. "You could've been killed!"

Tori's face was devoid of all emotion.

"That's what Mom wants," she said flatly. Jade shook her again, locking their eyes together.

"You listen to _me _Tori," she growled. "I don't give a _fuck _what your mother thinks, I am _not _going to let you die. You hear me?" Tears began to form in her pale-green eyes. She pulled Tori into her arms.

"Don't you _ever _scare me like that again," she whispered into Tori's ear, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Tori's fingers loosely gripped at Jade's shirt. It was an effort for her to even do _that_. Her entire body felt weak. The only thing keeping her upright now was the woman in front of her, who appeared to be having her own standing difficulties. In perfect synchronisation, the two women fell to their knees, holding onto each other as if the world were about to end. Tori sank further into Jade's embrace, wishing she could disappear.

"It's okay Tori, it's okay," Jade soothed, continuously running her hand through the woman's hair. "I've got you."

"She hates me," Tori sobbed into her chest. "She hates me and it's all my fault."

"She doesn't hate you Tori," Jade said, thinking of her _own _mother. She wished she were here right now.

"She does!" Tori wailed, pulling at Jade's shirt in frustration. "She told me it should've been me instead of Dad. She hates me so much. She doesn't love me anymore." Jade's arms tightened around her girlfriend.

"Well, _I _love you," she whispered. "More than anything in this world. I'm not gonna let you die, you hear me? You don't have the _luxury _of throwing your life away. I won't let it happen, okay?" She pushed Tori backwards gently and held her by the shoulders, meeting her bloodshot eyes. "I don't care how long it takes Tori. I'm gonna make sure that darkness fades away and never comes back to haunt you again."

Tori's sobs increased.

"I want my Daddy," she cried, falling back into Jade's open arms. Jade's felt her heart break. This was just _wrong_. Tori didn't deserve this hell. She'd been dealt the wrong hand. Jade would've given _anything_ to have been able to pick up that hand before her, and give her a better one. One that didn't involve constant heartache and agony. Tori was an absolute mess, and Jade hated it.

Over Tori's shoulder, she could make out the shapes of Trina and Andre running towards them. She pulled Tori closer, trying to shield her from the darkness of the world.

"I know baby," she whispered, "I know."

* * *

"Trina, will you _please_ stop doing that?" Jade asked, watching the older woman pace furiously back and forth across the length of the Vega's living room. "You're making me dizzy."

"Sorry," Trina muttered, flopping down onto the sofa. She ran a hand through her hair. "What a day."

"Tell me about it," Jade mused. When she had finally managed to calm Tori down to a certain extent, she and Trina had carried her to Andre's car and were brought back home by the boy. Once they had Tori safely inside, Andre decided to go back home and collect a few things to stay at the Vega house and keep an eye on the three girls. Now, Tori was finally asleep with her head resting on Jade's lap. Jade was gently stroking her hair, watching the rise and fall of her chest.

"Hey," Trina said gently. "Are you okay?" Jade looked over at her. "I mean, you did just save Tori from death."

Jade turned her head away and focused her attention back on Tori. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered, sniffling. "I'm just...she just scared me." She wiped her eyes again. "I'll be fine, as long as she's okay."

"I'm so glad you were there Jade," Trina whispered, "I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

"Me either."

Just then, Tori began to stir.

"Jade?" she called out anxiously, with her eyes still closed.

"Shh, it's okay," Jade cooed, brushing the hair out of her face. "I'm here. Go back to sleep sweetie." Tori's breathing slowed down, and she soon fell silent again, holding onto the bottom of Jade's shirt. Trina watched them intently.

"You really _do _care about her, don't you?" she asked.

Jade's eyes never left Tori.

"I love her."

* * *

**Awwwwwwwwwwww**


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow, what an intense last chapter hey? So glad to see everyone still enjoying it (all the hate mail for Holly has been pretty amusing too, forgive my laughter).**

**Lets get into some more Jade background story hey? ;)**

* * *

5_ years ago..._

When they were through with her, her three captors left. Her face was bloodied, her clothes were torn, and there were bruises all over her body. Jade lay on her side on the cold cement floor, silently crying. Why were they doing this to her? What had she done to deserve this? She tried standing up, but the ropes were too tight, and she was in absolute agony. She fell back against the wall, rolling herself into the corner. She tried to make herself as small as possible. She was so scared. She needed to get out of here, before they came back. Before they came back and-

_Present day..._

Jade woke with a start, sitting upright in Tori's bed. She fought back a scream, not wanting to wake the sleeping brunette.

"Oh God," she whispered, breathing heavily. "Oh God."

It was the same nightmare as every other night. Jade thought that she had finally gotten rid of them-sleep had been peaceful since she'd gotten Tori back-but clearly she'd been wrong. She glanced over at the clock on Tori's side of the bed. 4:30 a.m. Tori had only been asleep for a few hours. As much as she wished the girl would put her arms around her and make the pain go away, Jade really didn't want to worry her. If anything, _she _had to be the one putting her arms around _Tori_. Tori was a mess right now. Jade had to be strong for her. Her own problems would have to wait.

She leaned across and placed a gentle kiss on Tori's cheek, before pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed, making her way downstairs.

* * *

When she got there, she was surprised to find Andre still awake, standing in the kitchen. Trina was asleep on the sofa, her blanket hanging halfway over the edge. Jade picked it up and lay it back over the older Vega, pulling it up to her chin.

"Can't sleep?" Andre called quietly from the kitchen. Jade turned her head and found him watching her. She shook her head.

"Nope."

Andre nodded, knowing the feeling. He motioned to the espresso machine on the counter. "I'm making some cocoa, do you want some?"

Jade walked over to the sofa and sat down, tipping her head back.

"Sure."

"I see my clothes fit you well," Andre said, pouring milk into two mugs of steaming hot cocoa.

"Yeah, thanks for letting me borrow them," Jade answered. Since she hadn't had a chance to go back home (she _refused_ to leave Tori), Jade didn't have any clean clothing to change into. Andre had obviously realised this, and had brought back some extra clothes for her to wear. The hoodie was a little too big, and the pants were kinda baggy, but they would do.

"Anytime," Andre spoke, walking over and setting their drinks down on the coffee table. Jade picked hers up and took a sip, savouring its sweet taste.

"Good cocoa?" Andre asked, taking a sip of his own. Jade nodded.

"_Real _good," she admitted, earning a smile from the boy. He set his mug down.

"So," he said, his voice turning soft, "how are you coping?" Jade frowned. She sat her cocoa back on the table, and slumped back against her seat.

"I'm not," she sighed.

"Neither's Trina," Andre whispered, looking over at the sleeping woman. "After you went to bed she cried for an _hour_ before she fell asleep." His expression turned sad. "She puts on a brave face for Tori, but I know she's struggling."

"What's going on with you and Trina?"

Andre looked at Jade. "She's not ready for a serious relationship yet, but I'm gonna stand by her side until she is." Andre and Trina? Jade wasn't expecting that. But then again, no one expected her and Tori would either, and yet here they were.

"It must be hard," she finally spoke, "having to wait for someone you care about." Andre raised an eyebrow at her.

"Say you who waited five years for Tori," he stated.

"Eight," Jade corrected.

"Well there you go."

Jade turned her head away and stared at the floor. "It would've been less if I'd stayed." Andre placed a hand on her knee, making the dark-haired woman flinch.

"Why _did _you leave?" he asked. Jade stared, feeling her heart rate increase. If he didn't move his hand _now_, she was going to scream.

"Take your hand off me," she whispered shakily. Andre quickly retracted his hand, holding it up in front of him to signal that he'd done as she had requested.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I wasn't trying to-"

"It's fine," Jade quickly said. She scratched at her arm furiously, gave up, and then began cracking her knuckles.

"Are you alright?" Andre's voice was full of concern. Jade looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I was.." she couldn't say it. She couldn't tell Andre what was wrong.

"Jade?"

She tried again. "I was...they...I..." Her shoulders shook as she began to cry. She couldn't say it. She just _couldn't _No one could ever know.

"Hey," Andre said softly, pulling her into his arms. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"I was so scared..." Jade choked. Andre hugged her tighter.

"It's okay Jade," he whispered, "it's okay."

* * *

**Ooooohhhh...Yeah, things are pretty damn serious right now. Jade really needs to open up, but she's being so damn secretive...There is a reason for that (but I'm not telling you yet)**

**Stay tuned**


	18. Chapter 18

**Ok, so this chapter is kinda reaaaalllllllyyyyyy short, sorry. I couldn't add any more to this one though because I wanted to build up the suspense. The next couple will be MUCH longer, I promise.**

**Anyway, thanks for your reviews, they really brighten my day :)**

**Let's go**

* * *

Tori woke to the sun shining brightly in her face. She squinted and rolled over, and came face to face with a pair of pale-green eyes. Jade lay on her back with her head turned to the side, watching her beloved.

"Morning beautiful," she murmured.

"You stayed," Tori whispered, unable to believe it.

"Of course I stayed," Jade said, looking slightly hurt. "One, you're my girlfriend, and two, I wasn't about to leave you after everything that happened." Tori's face fell.

"Jade, about what happened last night-"

"Do you have any idea how _scared _I was?" Jade cried. "You could've been killed. What would I have done then?" She slid off the bed and began pacing around the room.

"I'm sorry," Tori said, sitting up. Jade stopped walking and turned to face her.

"So you should be. I didn't spend the last five years of my life _running_ just to come back and lose you."

Tori's eyes widened. "Running?" she asked.

"Yes, running."

"What were you running from?" Jade shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she sighed.

"Jade," Tori said sternly, "_what_ were you running from?"

"Monsters, Tori, I was running from monsters."

"You don't have to be such a smart ass about it," Tori mumbled, shooting a glare at Jade.

"I was serious." Tori's glare vanished.

"Jade, what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Don't 'nothing' me," Tori snapped. Jade sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't wanna fight," she said.

"We're not fighting."

"You're _yelling _at me."

"I'm _worried _about you," Tori argued, "and I'm tired." She leaned her head back against the bed's wooden frame and closed her eyes. "I'm so tired." Jade could hear the defeat in the girl's words. She walked back over to the bed and sat down next to Tori, putting her arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing her lips into the brunette's hair. "I'm just not ready to talk about it yet." Tori leaned her head against Jade's shoulder.

"I know," she said, "but you need to."

"So do you."

Tori remained silent. Jade sighed.

"Go back to sleep," she said quietly, "I'll wake you in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay," Tori mumbled. She lay back down, and Jade pulled the covers over her. Jade stood up to leave.

"Jade?" Tori whispered.

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you."

Jade leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"I love you too."

* * *

"How is she?" Trina asked when Jade came back downstairs.

"Still in shock," Jade answered, taking a seat at the breakfast table. "She's sleeping again." She furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" Trina's voice cut into her thoughts. Jade looked up at her.

"I think it's time we got the old gang back together for a meeting."

* * *

**Yay, finally, a reunion! Stay tuned ;) **


	19. Chapter 19

**Here we go, the reunion of Jade and the others. This could get interesting. How will the others react? Will they be happy to see Jade, or wazzed off at her for being gone for so long? Will Jade reveal anything about her past to her old friends? Only one way to find out. Read on.**

* * *

Cat and Robbie were the first to arrive. When the redhead spotted Jade, she ran straight up to her and threw her arms around her.

"Jade!" she squealed, burying her face in the woman's shoulder. Jade put her arms around her best friend and held her for a moment, before Cat broke the embrace and slapped her across the mouth. Jade's jaw hung open in shock.

"Why did you leave me?" Cat demanded. She looked ready to cry.

"I-I-"

"I've been worried _sick _about you," the redhead continued. "Do you have _any _idea how much I worried about you? You didn't even call me to say you were okay."

"Cat I'm sorry-"

"No you're _not_." The girl was on a roll here. "If you were sorry you would've at least called me."

"I _couldn't _call you," Jade argued. Cat's eyes widened.

"Why not?"

"Because...because..." Jade sighed and took the girl's hand, pulling her towards the staircase.

"Sit down," she said. Cat obeyed. Jade paced back and forth, considering her words, before finally taking a seat beside the redhead.

"I couldn't call you because there were some...bad people looking for me." She looked over at Cat, whose face had paled. Jade cleared her throat. "I had to cut off everything. I disconnected my phone, and disabled my accounts on The Slap and Twitter, just so they couldn't find me."

"Who were they?" Cat's gentle voice asked.

"I can't tell you."

Cat frowned. "Why not?"

"Because," Jade said, "I don't want you getting hurt. Or Tori, or Robbie, or any of the others."

"Did Beck do something?" Cat's face had become serious. It wasn't a normal look for the girl, who was usually so bubbly and carefree. It was frightening. Jade looked at her in disbelief.

"No, of course not," she scoffed. "Why would you think that?" Cat met her eyes.

"He keeps saying it's his fault you left. Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't do anything," Jade snapped. Her expression softened when she saw tears threatening to spill from her best friend's eyes. "Cat, it was nothing any of you guys did. I promise." She took Cat's face in her hands and looked her dead in the eyes. "And don't think for a second that it _was_, because you'll be wrong. Got it?" The redhead nodded.

"Good," Jade said, releasing her. Cat looked down at her feet for a few moments, deep in thought. She looked back up at Jade.

"Did they stop chasing you?" she asked. "Those people? That's why you came back right? Because it was safe to?" Jade saw the desperation in the girl's eyes. She _needed _Jade to say yes. She _needed _to know her best friend wasn't going to leave her again.

"Sure," Jade said, nodding. "That's right. Cat's face lit up. She hugged the dark-haired woman, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're back," she squealed, pulling away from Jade. She was beaming from ear to ear. "Now we can hang out again just like old times."

"Yeah..." Jade answered half-heartedly. Cat didn't notice. She jumped up from the steps and bounced over to the kitchen where Andre was typing on his laptop. Trina sat beside him, reading over his shoulder.

Robbie, who had been listening in the whole time, walked over to where Jade sat on the steps and stood in front of her, crossing his arms.

"You just lied to her didn't you?" he accused. Jade looked up at him.

"Would you rather she knew the truth?"

"I don't know what 'the truth' is," Robbie said, making air quotes, "but surely it's not that bad that you can't tell your own best friend."

Jade snapped.

"You have no fucking _idea _how bad it was Robbie," she shouted, jumping up from her place on the staircase. She was shaking violently. "You weren't _there_. You didn't _go through _what I did. So why don't you shut your mouth and _think _before you speak next time?" Robbie didn't flinch.

"You really haven't changed at _all_ have you?" he said, blinking. Jade was so angry, she just wanted to punch him right in his four-eyed face. Instead, she rolled back her sleeves, revealing her scars.

"Oh, _I've _changed," she growled. "Don't you worry about that." _Now _she got a reaction from Robbie. His eyes widened and he met Jade's eyes with a look of confusion.

"What the hell happened Jade?" he asked.

"You know, everyone keeps asking me that," Jade complained, stepping past Robbie. She made her way to the front door, rolling her sleeves back down, needing to wind down and get some fresh air. "When are they gonna get it through their heads that I'm not telling-"

Jade opened the door and froze. Standing opposite her, with his fist raised to knock, equally in shock, was...

"Beck..." Jade breathed.

"Hello Jade."

* * *

**And somehow this chapter was ****_still _****a short one...Why does this keep happening to me?!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Woooo. Here we go, finally, an extra long chapter for your reading pleasure ;) Can't wait to see how you all react to this one.**

**Special shout-out to PowerPlayer2010, who reaaaalllly wanted some insight into Beck's feelings. Well, the wait is over. Enjoy :)**

* * *

5_ years ago...(Jade's P.O.V)_

Jade had put on so much make-up that night, trying to hide the bruises. She had no idea how she'd done it-desperation maybe?-but somehow she'd managed to force herself to stand long enough to smash a window in the basement, pull herself out, and stagger home. Luckily for her, her mother wasn't there. Good. That would make it easier for her to do what had to be done.

She sat at the bottom of the shower for over an hour, bawling her eyes out. She was so terrified. She couldn't shake the images of what she had just endured from her mind. Had they noticed she was gone yet? Would they come looking for her?

Jade put her fist in her mouth and bit down _hard_, forcing back a scream. The steaming-hot water was doing little to alleviate the pain she felt in her muscles. Almost every inch of her skin was covered in bruises, and she could've _sworn_ she had a couple of broken ribs. But that was _nothing_ compared to the other things they had done. Her pale fingers brushed along her neck where his hands had been, applying pressure to her throat as he...

"No!" Jade screamed, pounding her fists against the glass door. She wanted to forget. She wanted to erase the memories forever. Putting a gun against her head seemed like a good idea right now. Unfortunately, Jade didn't even own one. Nor did her mother, as far as she knew. And she was in too much pain to bother looking through her drawers.

Jade picked herself up off the bottom of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and staggered down the hallway to her room, locking the door behind her. She leaned back against it for a couple of minutes, breathing heavily, before walking over to her drawers and pulling on some fresh clothes. She hissed as the fabric brushed against her skin, applying the smallest yet most intense unwanted pressure on her injuries. Next, she walked over to her mirror and, without looking at herself, smeared an entire bottle of concealer over her face and neck. Lastly, the raven-haired girl took out a pad and pen from her bedside table drawer, and wrote a note to her mother:

_I'm leaving this place. I'm not coming back. I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I love you._

Finally, Jade put her wallet and phone into her pockets and made her way downstairs and to the front door. There was one last thing she had to do before leaving Los Angeles for good.

She went to see Beck.

* * *

_(Beck's P.O.V)_

"Jade?" he asked, opening the door to his RV, Silver Streak. "Where have you been?" He didn't care that it was nearly two in the morning, and all that mattered was that his girlfriend was here, and she was safe. He'd been sitting in his room for _hours_, waiting for her. The Graduation ceremony had been earlier that day. The gang had planned to meet at Nozu later that night to celebrate, and he and Jade had made plans to come back to his house for their _own _celebrations. But, she hadn't shown. Not here, not at Nozu. She was nowhere to be found. She just...disappeared.

"We need to talk," Jade whispered. She looked on the verge of tears.

"Babe what's wrong?" Beck was worried. It wasn't like Jade to cry. Something was seriously wrong.

"I...We..."

"Jade?" Beck prompted. "Talk to me." Jade met his eyes. She was afraid. So very afraid. Of what?

"I can't be with you anymore," she said quietly. Beck felt his heart stop. _What?_

"Jade, what are you talking about?" This wasn't like her. Something was amiss. For starters, she wasn't screaming at him. Second of all, she was crying. It was very un-Jade-like.

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Why?"

Jade shook her head in response.

"Jade?"

"I've gotta go." Jade began stepping backwards.

"Jade, was it something I did?" He had to know, he just _had _to. If it was his fault, maybe he could fix it. Jade kept stepping away from him, making his heart break with each step she took.

"Goodbye Beck."

* * *

Beck closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Jade had just broken up with him. _Really _broken up with him. It wasn't like all of the other times where she had told him it was over, and then gotten back with him the following week. No, this time was different. Beck had seen it in her eyes. This was goodbye. She was letting him go for the last time.

"Dammit!" Beck growled, slamming his fists against the door behind him. Anger took hold of him, and he began throwing whatever he could find. This couldn't be the end, it just couldn't. Jade was his _world_. For her to be taken from him...

He held the fish tank above his head, and threw it against the wall. Glass sprayed everywhere. Small shards flew back and hit Beck's face, making small cuts. Water spilled out onto the floor, and fish flopped around, struggling to breathe. Beck sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands, letting grief and heartache take hold of him.

* * *

_Present day..._

The two ex-lovers stood staring at one another, too stunned to speak. Beck opened his mouth, but was cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

"So, you're the famous Jade West hey? You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here."

Beck stepped aside to reveal a woman about Jade's height, with shoulder-length brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The look she was giving Jade was _murderous_.

"I'm sorry, _who_ are you?" Some of Jade's old spark returned, and she looked the girl up and down with the same expression.

"I'm Beck's girlfriend," the blue-eyed skank said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Vanessa. You better stay the hell away from him." Jade couldn't help it. She laughed. Vanessa's glare intensified.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You sound just like _I _did, back when I dated Beck." Jade was still smiling, which seemed to piss the girl off more.

"Yeah, before you dumped me and vanished for five years," Beck finally spoke. Jade's smile fell. So he _hadn't _forgotten.

"Beck, look, I-"

"Why did you leave?" The boy's face was serious. He wasn't gonna let this go.

"Can we _not_ do this in front of your girlfriend?" Jade asked. "She's giving me strange looks."

"She won't do anything _you _wouldn't," Beck answered, crossing his arms.

"That's what I'm worried about."

Beck sighed. "Sure. Let's go out the back."

"Beck-" Vanessa began, but was cut off by Jade.

"I'm not gonna do anything to him. Just talk." Vanessa scowled.

"Keep your hands off him," she warned. Jade fought back her laughter.

"Dude, I'm not gonna steal him from you," she promised. "If it makes you feel any better, I've moved on from him. I'm with Tori now, so stop being such an obsessive bitch. He hates that." Vanessa's jaw dropped. Jade turned around and started walking towards the glass doors that led to the Vega's backyard. "Come on Beck."

Beck looked at his girlfriend apologetically, and then followed Jade out, mentally preparing himself for the heartache that was bound to follow.

* * *

When they were outside, Beck turned on her.

"Tori?" he asked.

"It's a long story..."

"Is that why you dumped me?" he quizzed her. He wanted answers, and he wanted them _now_.

"No," Jade answered.

"Is it why you left? Because of her?"

"She's the reason I came back."

Beck groaned. "Well then why did you _leave_?" Jade sighed. _How many_ times had she been asked that in the last four days?

"I can't say."

"Was it something I did?" Jade looked at him. It was the same question he'd asked that night five years ago. She hadn't answered him because she knew he would've convinced her to stay, and she couldn't. All hell would've broken loose. Beck had been waiting _five years _for an answer. This time Jade had one for him.

"Beck, you're like a fucking puppy dog," she said sternly. "There's nothing on Earth you could do to make me leave the way I did." Beck's face twisted into a look of confusion.

"If it wasn't me, then who?" he pleaded. "Who on Earth made you feel the need to break my heart into tiny little pieces and leave for five years?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why the fuck _not_?"

Jade snapped at him. It was the second time she'd gotten _really _pissed off at someone today.

"Do you think it's _easy_ for me to do this?" she hissed. "Hiding things from all of you? It's not. I wish I could tell you all everything, to give you answers and ease your minds. I wish it was something as simple as falling in love with a complete stranger and running away to start a life with them." She met Beck's eyes.

"But it's not," she continued. "What made me leave...It's not gonna ease your minds. It will absolutely _destroy_ you. I'd lose Tori forever. She'd throw herself in front of _another _car, just like she almost did _last _night. It would ruin all of your lives." She sniffed, fighting back tears. "And I'm not gonna do that to you. I'd rather you just kept on living your lives hating me, than to find out the truth. I'd rather _you_ had a long and happy life with Vanessa, and forget about me."

"How can I forget about you," Beck whispered, "when I know that someone or something has hurt you?"

"Beck, we're not even together anymore."

"That doesn't mean I've stopped caring about you." Beck's eyes were shining with unshed tears. He was hurting. Bad. "I think about you all the time, wondering if I could've done something more, something to make you stay." A tear slid down his tanned cheek. "I had no idea if it was _me _who made you leave, or something else. _Both _thoughts scared me." He took a step forward and held Jade's hands in his own. "I _need _to know you're okay, before I can truly move forward." Jade looked up at him. The desperation in his eyes was crystal-clear. He looked just like Cat had when she'd asked her if she was safe. Jade considered her words. _Was _she okay, really? No. She was far from it. But when Tori was around...

"As long as I have Tori, I'll be okay," she finally said. It was the truth. Tori just had a way of making people feel better, no matter how bad things seemed to be. Beck stared at her for a long moment before speaking.

"Do you love her?" he asked. Jade nodded.

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"And she loves you?" He didn't look angry. He just genuinely wanted to know.

"As crazy as it sounds, yes."

Beck's lips twisted into a smirk.

"Well ain't _that _adorable?" Jade whacked him on the stomach.

"Shut up," she mumbled, her cheeks turning red. Beck chuckled.

"Aw, gimme a hug," he said, pulling the girl into his arms. Jade returned the embrace, resting her head on the boy's shoulder.

"Things have been hard since you left," Beck whispered into her ear. Jade could hear his voice breaking. "For all of us. Now that you're back, maybe we can all begin to heal."

"I hope so," Jade said.

"I've missed you," Beck murmured. "We all have."

"I've missed you too." The two pulled away from each other and smiled awkwardly.

"So, you wanna go back inside now?" Beck asked. Jade nodded.

"Yeah, we better." Beck walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing with his hand for Jade to follow.

"You know, I hope your girlfriend didn't see us hug," the raven-haired woman mused. Beck paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"Why?"

"Because if I were in her position, and I saw some other woman hugging _my _partner, I'd wanna stick a knife in her throat."

Beck stared at her wide-eyed. Finally, he spoke.

"You'd better stand behind me."


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry about the delayed update, I got kinda busy being forced to watch anime with my best friend instead of typing up more chapters...But since she's in bed now, I have free reign again ;)**

**The response to the last couple of updates has been exactly how I wanted it to be, everyone's trying to figure out what the ****_hell _****is going on with Jade, and everyone seems to be appreciating the Jade/Beck moment in the previous chapter too. Glad I'm still keeping you all hooked :)**

**Shout-out to my #1 fan Metatron85, who, as always, keeps me inspired to keep on writing. I know your schedule's kinda busy right now, but you still manage to make the time to respond to all of my crazy little rants about God only knows what, and keep me sane. So thank you. If you readers haven't already done so, go and check out 'I'm Not Going Anywhere', and, as I will always recommend (because, as I will continue to say, it's the absolute BEST), 'Edge', along with the huge selection of other incredible stories over there. Seriously, just do it. You don't know what you're missing ;)**

**Okay, now that ****_that's _****settled...**

* * *

"So Trina," Vanessa asked, "_why _did you call us all over here?"

"Actually," Jade said, taking a seat beside the older Vega, "_I _did."

Once everyone had gotten over the initial shock of seeing Jade, the gang has gathered in the living room, waiting for an explanation. The two couples sat on the sofa closest to the front door, while Jade, Trina and Andre took the other. It felt odd without Tori there, but Jade knew she needed her sleep. Plus, it would be easier to talk about her when she _wasn't _in their presence.

Vanessa glared at her. "Why? So you can _lie _to them more?"

Jade resisted the urge to stand up and hit her. "Okay look," she said, holding her hands up, "I _know _you're all upset over what I did, and Vanessa here has taken Beck's side for obvious reasons, but this isn't about me. Tori...she's in a bad way." Jade took a breath to steady herself. "Last night she...she...sorry," she choked, standing up. She walked over to stand in front of the TV cabinet, her back facing the others. She wasn't gonna let that bitch see her cry.

"She tried to kill herself," Trina finished for her. "Mom had to go to hospital because she passed out in the street and hit her head on the pavement. We went to visit her, and her and Tori had a fight which turned pretty nasty. Mom said some things that...that I personally _hate _her for, and it pushed Tori over the edge."

"She tried throwing herself in front of a car," Jade said quietly, her back still facing them.

"And Jade stopped her," Trina added. "If it wasn't for her, Tori would be dead."  
"Which is why I need your help," Jade said, turning around. She met everyone's eyes individually, finally resting them on Vanessa. "I know I don't deserve anything from you guys, but I _need_ you to do this for me. I need you to help me to help Tori. Because I don't know what to do." Jade saw something shift in Vanessa's eyes. The anger had vanished. Instead, it had been replaced with..._sympathy_?

"I'm so scared that I'm gonna lose her," Jade continued, swallowing, "that we're _all _gonna lose her. And that is _not _going to happen. That's something I think we can all agree on, right?" Jade swept her eyes around the group, and everyone nodded.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Robbie asked, raising his hand.

"Well I know keeping her on a constant suicide watch won't help," Vanessa said.

"Why?" That was Beck.

"Because it'll just piss Tori off, having people following her every move," Jade explained.

"And it'll make her more determined, just to spite you," the blue-eyed girl added.

"Exactly," Jade nodded. "It's effective in some ways, but only if you're fine with her hating you."

"Which you really don't want." Vanessa again. "I learnt that the hard way..." Her expression turned sad.

"What happened?" Jade asked. Vanessa looked up at her.

"My best friend tried killing herself when we were fifteen," she said. "Her parents and I kept a constant watch on her after that. She couldn't go _anywhere _on her own. I'd sit on the edge of the bathtub while she showered, just so she didn't try cutting her wrists or something." She looked down at the floor, and Beck covered one of her hands with his own. "Then one day, when we were waiting for the school bus, she turned to me and said 'you can't watch over me forever.' I didn't even get a chance to ask her what she meant, because she'd already stepped in front of the bus."

"Oh my God," Jade breathed, sitting back down. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Vanessa said, shrugging it off. "It's fine. Just don't make the same mistake with Tori that I did with Jenna."

Cat, who had been listening the whole time, asked, "So, what do we do?"

"Try talking to her," Jade offered, "let her know you're here for her."

"Someone needs to make sure she's not alone when she's sleeping," Vanessa added, back in serious-mode. She looked at Jade. "I guess you could take care of that one." Jade nodded.

"But isn't that like suicide watch?" Robbie quizzed. Vanessa shook her head.

"Not exactly. If it's only at night time, she shouldn't get too overwhelmed by it. Plus, it's also a comfort thing. Most people who are suicidal, even though they say they want to be alone, really mean the opposite. Having someone that they feel safe and comfortable with, it helps." She locked her ice-blue eyes with Jade's pale-green ones. "And what better person to feel safe and comfortable with than someone they love, right?" Jade nodded again. Vanessa understood.

"So it's settled then," Beck said. "Talk to her, be there for her, don't let her be alone."

"What about a counsellor?" Robbie offered. Trina shook her head.

"Tried that, she wouldn't talk."

"I'm sure Jade could talk her into it," Andre spoke up.

"I tried," Jade said. "She stated in no uncertain terms that she'd rather talk to me."

"Then there's your homework." Vanessa smiled at her gently. "Get her to open up to you. _Make _her talk about her feelings, about what's going through her head. But don't push _too_ hard. Just take it one step at a time."

Jade felt like a bobble-head with the amount of times she was nodding today.

"So um, are we done here now?" Robbie asked. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but Cat and I have plans for this afternoon."

"Sure," Jade said, "you can go."

Cat and Robbie said their goodbyes to the group, and then left. Beck stood up.

"I guess we better go too then," he suggested, looking down at his girlfriend.

"You go warm the car up," Vanessa said, waving him away. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright," Beck answered, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. He shot a brief glance at Jade as if to say "good luck," and then he was gone.

"I'm gonna go check on Tori," Trina informed, heading towards the stairs. Andre walked back over to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna write some more song lyrics," he said.

"Sure," Jade responded. She knew they were just making excuses to stay away from her and Vanessa.

_'Thanks a lot, _assholes.'

She looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

"You know you're not so bad after all," Vanessa offered, the corners of her mouth turning up into a small smile.

"Um, thanks?" Jade was at a loss for words.

"I mean it," Vanessa said. She gave a small laugh. "Honestly, when I first heard about you, I thought you were just a heartless bitch who got a kick out of ruining peoples' lives." Jade grimaced.

"Not _far _from the truth I guess," she muttered.

"It was just an act you put on to appear tougher than you really are," the blue-eyed woman said offhandedly.

"Hey!"

"I didn't mean that in a bad way," the girl promised. "I used to be the same." She looked at Jade and smiled. "But I know it's not really you. I _saw _the look in your eyes when you spoke about Tori. It's a rare look. You care about her _so much_, and you don't care who knows. I admire that. Tori's lucky to have you."

Tears began to form in Jade's eyes.

"Thanks," she whispered. "You know, you're not so bad yourself." The two girls laughed. Who would've guessed they'd be all chummy like this, especially with the way they were acting towards each other earlier. This day was just full of surprises.

"I guess I better get going," Vanessa spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "Beck's probably wondering what I'm doing."

"He probably thinks you're bashing me to death with a pillow or something," Jade said.

"Probably," Vanessa smiled. "Well, it was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too." Jade stood up. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon enough." Vanessa rose from her seat as well, and walked to the door with Jade.

"Sure thing," she agreed. She put a hand on Jade's arm. "And hey, if _you _ever need to talk to someone, you know where to find me." Jade smiled at her.

"Thanks."

The girl left, and Jade stood staring at the door, wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Jade had returned to her place on the sofa when Trina came back downstairs.

"How is she?" Jade asked, turning her head around to see the older woman.

"Still asleep," Trina informed, pulling on a jacket. "I'm gonna go and see Mom."

Jade stood up. "I'll come with you."

"Doesn't someone have to keep an eye on Tori?"

Andre picked his laptop up off the kitchen table, and began walking to the staircase.

"I'm on it."

* * *

**Oh crap, here comes trouble.. Jade's gonna get her rage on ;)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Bring on the onslaught... ;D**

**Metatron85, this one's for you. You'll see why ;)**

* * *

Holly's eyes widened when she saw who had just entered her room.

"Jade? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk," Jade said, walking over to stand in front of the window. "And you're gonna shut up and listen."

Holly looked over at her older daughter, who was standing at the foot of the bed once again.

"Trina, what's going on?" she asked. Trina held up a hand to silence her.

"Just let her speak."

Jade walked over to the woman's side and crossed her arms.

"You almost killed my girlfriend last night," she accused in a low voice. Holly blinked.

"What are you talking-"

"After your little 'outburst' in here, Tori tried throwing herself in front of a _car_," Jade growled. "She could've fucking _died _because of you." Jade shot daggers at Holly with her eyes. "Seriously, you're lucky Trina's here, or _you'd _be dead. You have no idea how much I want to take that pillow from under your alcohol-fucked head, and hold it over your face until you stop breathing."

Holly didn't even flinch. "Are you threatening me?" she asked coolly.

"Maybe I am," Jade answered in the same tone, "or maybe I'm here to try and save a family from falling apart."

"This family's already fallen apart," Holly sneered. "You can thank your _girlfriend _for that." That was it. Jade lunged at her, but was held back by Trina. Jade was fuming.

"You're pathetic!" she yelled, struggling against Trina. "How can you blame all of your problems on your own _daughter_?"

"She sent my husband to his _death_!" Holly shouted.

"You think she did it _intentionally_?" Jade retaliated. "You think she did it to _hurt _you? She was looking out for her fucking _sister_! She never meant for him to be killed. It tears her apart _every single day_! She's not coping at all, and you're just making it worse by throwing all of the blame on her."

"Because it _is _her fault," Holly argued.

"How the fuck is it her fault?" the raven-haired woman roared. "If anything it's _your_ fault. _You _didn't try stopping him did you?" Holly's face turned white.

"What did you say?" she asked, voice shaking.

"You heard," Jade snapped. "If you're gonna point fingers, then why can't I?"

"Don't you _dare _tell me it's my fault," Holly growled.

"Then don't you say it's Tori's. I don't give a _fuck _if you're her mother, you have _no right_ to say those things to her." Jade met her eyes. "You should be supporting her through all of this, not tearing her apart more. It's fucking disgusting. And you call yourself a _mother_? You don't _deserve _that title. Not when you keep hurting your children." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I'm warning you Holly, you stay the _fuck _away from Tori, until you're finally ready to apologise to her."

The Vega mother smirked at her. "You'll be waiting a long time then."

Trina released Jade.

"Hit her," she said. Jade stared at her in shock.

"_What?_"

"I said hit her," Trina repeated. "I don't care anymore. I'm over this." She looked at Holly. "You're not my mother. The Holly Vega _I _know would _never _do this to her own kids. Stay away from _me_, and stay away from Tori. We're done." With that, Trina turned on her heel and began to leave. She paused in the doorway.

"Dad would be so disappointed in you," she whispered, and then she left. Jade followed behind her. She turned around and looked at the eldest Vega woman.

"One day, I plan on marrying your daughter," she said. "If you want to see her on the happiest day of her life, I suggest you snap the fuck out of your shit. Because as it stands right now, I doubt she'll want you there."

On that final note, Jade slammed the door hard behind her, leaving Holly to wallow in her own self pity.

* * *

Out in the waiting room, Trina was crying.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jade asked, touching her arm. Trina shook her head.

"No," she sniffed. "How am I supposed to tell Tori that Mom's not coming back?"

"Let _me_ take care of it," the dark-haired woman offered. "I'll tell her."

"I almost lost her," Trina whimpered. "Again. I almost lost my baby sister. I can't take this anymore." She covered her face with her hands and leaned into Jade's chest. Jade put her arms around her awkwardly.

"I'm supposed to protect her," Trina sobbed, "and she just keeps getting hurt. I'm a failure." Jade took a hold of the girl's shoulders and pushed her back gently, looking into her eyes. Trina held onto her shirt, keeping herself steady.

"Hey, _who_ kept her alive for the last two years after your dad died?" she said. "_You_. You've done more for her than you'll ever know. And I _know _she appreciates it. She's just afraid to say it because she doesn't wanna lose you. She's already lost her father, now she's losing her _mother_. She _needs_ her big sister. I know it's hard, but you've gotta stay strong, for her sake." She gave Trina a gentle smile. "I know you and I don't exactly have the greatest history together, but one thing we can both agree on is that we love Tori and don't wanna see her get hurt, right?" Trina nodded. "We need to work together to keep it that way, okay?" Jade said. "Can you promise me you'll try?"

"Yeah," Trina answered, wiping her eyes, "I can promise." Jade smiled.

"Good. Now let go of me. I don't want people to think I'm _two-timing _the Vega sisters."

* * *

**Wow. Jade kinda surprised me here with her marriage speech. So did Trina telling Jade to hit her mother O.O Just wow.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, now that that's all over, let's have a nice little hilarious Jori filler chapter to lighten the mood, before we get into some heavy stuff again (that was completely out of my control, again)**

**A special thank you to my best friend (NonieBee) for helping me come up with the idea for this one. It started with just one little idea, and then it stemmed into this. I had so much fun writing this one. Laughs galore.**

**Also, this will probably be the last update I do for a few weeks (you know the drill), so it's kinda fitting that I post ****_this_**** one now. Sorta calms you all down and gets you ready for more brutality when I return. Hahaha.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Tori was waiting for them when they got home.

"Jade," she breathed, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck. Jade put her arms around the brunette's waist and buried her face in her shoulder. It felt like an eternity had passed since she'd last seen Tori, despite it only being earlier that morning. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Jade exhaled loudly.

"What's wrong?" Tori asked. Jade looked over the girl's shoulder at Trina, who had gone to sit on the sofa beside Andre.

"Nothing," she said. "I just missed you."

Tori placed a kiss on her neck. "I missed you too."

The dark-haired woman pulled back slightly and looked down at Tori with a smile on her face.

"How did you sleep?"  
"Not too bad I guess," the half-latina answered, "but it would've been better if _you _were there."

"I'm sorry," Jade whispered, kissing her lightly on the lips. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"What did you have in mind?" Tori asked, all innocent.

"Well I was _thinking_...I mean, if you're up to it..." Jade mumbled, "I could take you out for dinner tonight? Kinda like a second first date, since our last one didn't end so well."

Tori frowned, remembering all _too_ well.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Hey," Jade said, tipping the girl's chin up, "I'm just glad you're still here." Tori smiled at the woman she loved so much.

"So, where are you taking me?"  
Jade grinned.

"Well, I'm thinking _not _Nozu."

* * *

"I thought you specifically said we _weren't _going to Nozu," Tori said as the two lovers exited the building. Jade looked at her sideways and winked.

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for _sushi_."

"Jade!" Tori hissed, turning bright red.

"What?" Jade asked, faking innocence. "What did I say?" Tori sighed and shook her head.

"Never mind," she muttered. Jade smirked as they continued walking.

They were walking through the car park to Jade's car when Tori stopped and stood in front of said car owner.

"What's wrong?" Jade asked. Tori kissed her.

"I just wanted to thank you for tonight," she said, smiling. "It was good to get out of my head for a while." Jade's expression softened.

"Anything to make you happy," she murmured, pulling the brunette in for another kiss. Everything happened quickly from there. Tori pushed Jade up against a black SUV, wrapping her arms around her neck and intensifying the kiss. Jade was powerless to resist. And honestly, she didn't really _want _to resist. Until she realised what she was leaning on.

Her eyes flew open and she pushed Tori back.

"Wait, stop," she gasped. Tori's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"What's wrong?"

"I recognise this car," Jade said quietly, putting her hands on her knees.

"Very funny Jade," Tori scoffed, "if you didn't wanna kiss me-"

"Shut up!" Jade growled. She turned around and scanned the vehicle, taking in every detail. Yep, this was definitely it.

Jade walked around to the other side of the car, so that she was out of view, knelt down, and took her keys out of her pocket. Tori followed her around and watched as the woman began scratching a straight line down the driver's side door. She knelt down beside her.

"Jade, what are you do-"  
"Shh!" Jade hissed. Her eyebrows knit together in concentration, and her mouth was set in a straight line. Tori stood up and looked around, spotting a man walking towards them.

"Uh Jade?" she spoke, touching the girl's shoulder.

"What?"

Tori gulped. "I think the driver's coming."

Jade shifted her stance, continuing to write. "Well I'm not finished."

"Jade!"

"Go distract him or something," Jade said, waving her away.

"But Jade," Tori groaned. Jade shot her a warning glare.

"Do you _wanna_ get arrested?" she growled. Tori took a step back.

"No."  
"Then _go_," Jade whispered, giving her a push.

* * *

Tori stumbled out in front of the middle aged man, giving him a sweet smile.

"Well hey there," the man greeted, his eyes widening. His graying hair hung to his shoulders, and he looked like he hadn't showered in a week.

"H-Hey," Tori dragged the word out, trying-and failing-to pull a sexy pose. One hand was on her hip, slightly pushed out, and the other rested on her head. She felt awkward. She heard Jade snicker from behind the car, and vowed to punish her later. Her plan had worked however. The guy was _definitely _distracted.

"What's a pretty girl like _you _doing out here all alone at night?" he asked, grinning. Most of his teeth were missing, and the ones that remained didn't look like they would last much longer. Tori shuddered.

_'Jade West I'm going to kill you.'_

"Oh you know," she answered casually, thinking of an excuse, "just...walking?"

"I see," the toothless man said. Suddenly, Tori's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw it was a text from Jade.

_'Remind me _again _how you passed Sikowitz's acting class.'_

She shook her head, glaring at the screen.

"Who was that?" the driver asked.

"Just a friend," Tori responded, putting the phone back in her pocket. "Don't worry." She gave him another sweet smile. "So, what do you do for a living?"

* * *

Once Jade had finished scratching letters into the SUV, she shuffled back to admire her work.

"Oh shit," she muttered, "I got carried away." She read the words she had written. Jade had only intended to write "FUCK YOU," but then that creep had started flirting with Tori, and her hand had decided to act on its own. Now the whole left side of the vehicle was covered with words like "DON'T YOU _DARE _TOUCH HER," "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU," and "DIE ASSHOLE."

Jade sighed and took out her phone.

"Time to go Tori," she whispered as she typed out her message.

* * *

Tori's phone vibrated with another text.

_'About time,' _she thought. She looked at the older man.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I've gotta go."

The gray-haired man frowned. "Well that's a shame," he mumbled, scratching his head.

"Yeah," Tori lied, watching Jade sneak out behind the car. "I was just starting to enjoy myself." Jade barrel-rolled over to the next car, and then slid across to her own. Tori turned her attention back to the old guy.

"Maybe I could call you sometime?" the creep asked her, smiling.

_'Oh shit, now what?'_

"Uh...sure," she answered, reciting a fake number. The man's smile grew wider.

"I'll see you around," he winked, walking past her. He didn't go to the SUV however. Instead, he opened the door to a white van.

_'What the hell?!'_

Tori was furious. She stormed over to Jade's car and threw open the passenger side door, sliding into her seat. Jade was in hysterics.

"Did you get his number?" she laughed. Tori glared at her.

"I can't believe you made me flirt with a sweaty old pervert for _nothing_!" the brunette shouted.

"How was _I _supposed to know he didn't own that car?" Jade asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"You recognised the car, you should've recognised the driver too!"

"His windows were tinted Tori, _tinted_," Jade argued. "I didn't see anyone."

"How do you know it was the right car then?" Tori challenged. Jade's laughter stopped. Her face grew serious.

"Trust me," she said with a dark look in her eyes, "_I _know."

The car was silent for several minutes. Tori couldn't stand it anymore.

"Why did you even do that to the car anyway?" she asked. Jade sat staring out of the window.

"He almost killed you last night, remember?" What was she talking about? No had tried to kill-oh.

Suddenly Tori understood.

"I stepped in front of _him_," Tori said. "No one tried to kill me." Jade turned around and looked at her.

"I don't _care _who did what," she growled, "he almost killed you. I got my revenge. End of story." She started the car and pulled out. "Maybe now he'll think twice about trying to run my girl down."

The car grew silent again. Tori slumped back in her seat. Her mind was reeling. Why would Jade do that to someone's car if she _knew _it wasn't their fault? She knew it was Tori who had thrown herself in front of the car. The driver hadn't done anything wrong. So then why-

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

This was Jade's strange way of showing her that she cared. She wasn't going to take her anger out on Tori, so she'd gone to the next obvious thing. By doing damage to that guy's car, Jade was letting go of all of the negativity she felt about the situation, without upsetting Tori. Jade was hurting, and scared, but she loved Tori too much to say anything. Basic Jade logic.

Tori looked over at her girlfriend, who was gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Hey Jade?" she said quietly.

"What?"

"I love you."

* * *

**Couldn't resist. Just couldn't. I'm not sorry.**

**Stay tuned for next time.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Wheeew. So, I've managed to get one more chapter out before I head home in about 2 hours. THAT was hard to do. So much happening in this one. I swear, this one went to places I never even ****_dreamed _****of. I'm sitting here in absolute shock, unsure of what to do. It kinda tore my heart apart writing this one (I swear, it almost killed me), so I have no idea what it'll do to you readers out there. Anyway, if I keep talking, I'll give it away before it even starts! Here you go, a new chapter for ou to mull over for the next couple of weeks. I shall return, with even ****_more _****shocking revelations etc for all of you amazing people. I apologise if I don't seem to be making much sense right now, my head is all over the place after writing this chapter. It will leave you haunted for a while.**

**You have been warned.**

**P.S. Thanks to Metatron85 for getting me to the triple digit mark on my reviews. I can't even put into words how much I appreciate it. You're the best :)**

* * *

After a somewhat awkward car ride home, and then an even more awkward _scolding _from Trina for being late, followed by and even _more _awkward scolding when she found out _why_ they were late, Jade and Tori had retreated to the younger Vega's bedroom. They now lay in the comfort of each others' arms, not saying a word. Tori's head rested on her girlfriend's chest, and Jade was absently stroking her dark-brown locks. They lay like that for over an hour before one of them finally uttered a word.

"Are you sleeping?" Jade whispered, brushing Tori's hair from her face. Tori stirred slightly.

"No," she murmured, "I'm just listening to your heartbeat." Jade smiled, despite the fact that Tori couldn't see her.

"Really?" she asked. "What does it sound like?"  
Tori frowned, considering. "It sounds like it's broken," she said wistfully. A harsh laugh escaped from Jade's lips.

"It's been that way for a _long_ time," she said, continuing to run her fingers through Tori's hair. "It's nothing new."

"Yeah, I've probably made it worse," Tori muttered. Jade's hand stopped moving.

"What?"

Tori sighed. "All of the shit I've been putting you through these last few days..." Another sigh. "It's a wonder you can even stand to _look_ at me, let alone hold me like this." Jade tightened her arms around the brunette girl.

"Tori, the sight of your beautiful face is what keeps me from falling apart completely," she spoke softly. "Why _wouldn't _I want to look at you?"

Despite the fact that Jade's words had made her cheeks turn red, and her heart react spasmodically, Tori knew she had to stay focused.

"Jade, I tried _killing _myself," she said quietly.

"So did I. Twice."

"Yeah, years ago," Tori said dismissively. "I'm talking about last night." She felt Jade tense slightly.

"What of it?" she asked.

"I know it scared you Jade," Tori answered, "and I know you're upset about it."

"I'm upset about a lot of things," Jade sniffed.

"What's upsetting you the most right now?" Tori pressed. Surely Jade could open up to her just a little? Surely.

She heard Jade sigh. "That I can't tell you why I left, and it's upsetting _you_."

"Why can't you tell me?" _'Come on Jade, please just tell me _something_.'_

"I just can't Tori." Jade's irritation was growing. "You have no idea how much I wish I could just tell _someone_, but I can't...I just can't..." She let go of Tori and rolled over, her back now facing her.

"Why?" Tori asked, trying to use a lighter tone. "What's stopping you?"

No answer.

"Jade?"

"Don't do it Tori..." Jade warned.

"Jade..."  
"Don't do it..." Jade's voice was muffled. Was she hiding her face in the pillow?

"Jade, _what _the hell is going on in your head?" Tori demanded.

"I CAN'T TELL YOU ALRIGHT?!" Jade screamed, jumping up from her place on the bed. "HE'LL KILL YOU! HE'LL FUCKING _KILL _YOU! They..." She fell to her knees, her whole body shaking with anxiety. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Tori's face turned white with horror.

"Jade," she shouted, rushing to her side. There was no hiding the panic in her voice. "Jade what's wrong? Talk to me!"

Jade gripped the sides of her head and began rocking back and forth. "I don't want you to die, I don't want you to die," she whimpered. Tori didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Jade, what are you talking about?" she gasped. "I'm not going to die." Her voice was shaking. Jade had snapped.

"He's gonna kill you," Jade moaned. "They're gonna kill you. They're gonna kill us all...Oh God, make it stop." Tears started to fall from Tori's eyes. She had no idea what to do. Jade was falling apart more and more each second.

"Jade, baby," she whispered through tears, "you need to calm down. Please." Jade began pulling at her own hair.

"They're gonna hurt you, oh God they're gonna hurt you. No!" She screamed. "I shouldn't have come back here. I should've stayed away...They're gonna find me..."

"Jade," Tori wailed, "you're scaring me!"

Jade continued her rambling, unable to control herself. "I should've stayed at the ward. I was safe there. They couldn't find me there. What have I done?"

"Jade!"

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and then Trina burst into the room, instantly kneeling beside Tori.

"What's going on?" she demanded, turning her eyes onto her little sister.

"I-I don't know," Tori stammered. She was beginning to hyperventilate. "She just...help me!"

Trina took hold of the dark-haired woman's arms while Tori went behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to help her stand. It was no use. Jade wouldn't-or couldn't-move.

"They're gonna find me, they're gonna kill us," Jade muttered.

"Jade, calm down," Trina ordered. "No one's going to hurt you."  
"YES THEY ARE!" Jade bellowed, struggling against the two sisters. "They're gonna hurt all of us. They're gonna hurt Tori..."

Trina shot a worried look at Tori.

"Call Vanessa, _now_," she instructed. Tori returned the worried stare.

"It's okay," the older Vega promised, "I've got her." Tori nodded and stepped out of the room into the hallway, dialing her friend's number.

Turning back to the raven-haired woman, Trina took her face in her hands, and forced her to look at her.

"Jade, look at me," she commanded. Jade's eyes opened slightly, recognising the voice. "_No one_ is going to hurt Tori. Or you, or any of us, okay? You've gotta stay strong. You've gotta stay strong for Tori. We promised each other, remember?" Her voice grew frantic. "Please Jade, you're scaring us."

"I can't..." Jade sobbed, "I can't hold on..."

Trina moved her hands down to the girl's shoulders, gripping her tightly. Jade opened her eyes.

"Yes you can Jade," she insisted, locking their eyes together. "I'm here. Tori's here. We're a team now." She wiped away Jade's tears. "We won't let you fall."

Slowly, Jade's breathing began to even out, and her shaking started to ease up.

"Vanessa's on her way," Tori said breathlessly, returning to the room. She knelt down in front of her broken girlfriend and took her hands.

"Jade, baby, it's okay," she soothed. "I promise. You're gonna be okay. Stay with me okay? Just focus on me."

Jade looked at her with tear-filled, pale-green eyes. She had never looked so vulnerable in her entire life. Tori felt her heart clench.

"Tori, I'm scared," Jade croaked. Tori wrapped her arms around the woman and pulled her into her lap, sitting with her as she tore her own heart to shreds and cried it out all over the floor.

"Shh..." she whispered, holding Jade as close to her chest as she could. "It's okay. I'm here." Trina sat down beside her and ran a hand up and down the raven-haired woman's back, trying to comfort her.

Jade continued to cry for what felt like hours, until she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep in the arms of her beloved. When Tori was convinced that she wasn't going to wake if moved, she and Trina lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, setting her down gently. Trina put a hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezed it softly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Tori shook her head.

"I can't believe what just happened," she said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. "She scared the absolute hell out of me."

"She scared me too," Trina admitted. "I'm so worried about her. About both of you." Tori looked at her.

"We'll get through this Trina," she promised. "Someway, somehow, we'll get through it." Trina walked over to her sister and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I love you Tori," she whispered, giving her a small smile.

"Love you too Trina."

* * *

Vanessa arrived ten minutes later. Trina left Tori upstairs with Jade while she went to fill the girl in on what was happening.

Tori's head was spinning. Who was this "he" and "they" that Jade had kept mentioning? And what had they done to her to make her fall into an absolute heap the way that she had? If she ever found out who they were, and what they had done, Tori was going to kill them. _No one _messed with her Jade and got away with it. Even if it killed her, she would get revenge for her girlfriend.

Tori looked at the pale-skinned woman beside her, who was breathing softly and muttering indecipherable words. A tear slid down her cheek.

"What the hell happened to you Jade?"

* * *

**I know right? I was ****_not_**** expecting this to happen. If you all want to take out your scissors and kill me a most gruesome, horrifying, painful death, then be my guests. I'd almost welcome it after what I put Jade through...Dear God...**

**Well, see y'all in few weeks *waves***


	25. Chapter 25

**FINALLY. It took me ****_forever_**** to write this chapter out, and there were so many attempts. I really struggled with this one, which is kinda crazy because I had it all planned out and ready to go. But alas, these things happen. All that matters is that it worked out alright in the end. So finally, here is chapter 25. I hope you enjoy. As always, thank you for your reviews. Your responses to the previous chapter were exactly as I hoped.**

**A special thanks once again to Metatron85 for helping me out with this one. I'd probably still be staring blankly at the screen growing more and more agitated if it weren't for you (and possibly smashing my head against the desk while I was at it)**

**Oh, by the way, I know it's about 10 or so chapters late, but for anyone who was wondering what the song was in chapter 14 that our favourite couple sang together before that heart-stopping first kiss, it's called 'Salvation' by an absolutely EPIC band called Skillet. Just sayin'**

**Anyway, here we go.**

* * *

Tori felt numb all over. She couldn't shake the feeling that something tremendously horrific had happened to Jade five years ago, and no one had a clue what. What had happened to her? Why couldn't she tell anyone? Who _were _these people? Tori just didn't know.

The brunette stood up and began pacing the room, trying to make sense of it all. Something just didn't add up. Why was Jade trying so desperately to hide the identities of these people who had clearly destroyed her life? Wouldn't she have been better off telling someone, so that justice could be served and she wouldn't have to worry about them ever again? There had to be a reason the girl was holding back. Not that threatening to kill her friends wasn't a good enough reason, but why couldn't she just tell them? Vanessa's uncle was a cop, and not just any cop. He was David Vega's ex-partner, Gary. He wouldn't let anything happen to them.

Jade began to stir in her sleep, and Tori hurried over to her side, stroking the woman's dark hair.

_'Please don't be a nightmare,' _Tori thought. She didn't know if she could stand watching another breakdown from her girlfriend right now. Jade's pale hand unconsciously reached out and took hold of Tori's, gripping tightly.

"Don't leave me..." Jade mumbled, still sleeping. Her sleeve slid back, revealing the scars on her arm. Tori inhaled sharply, biting her lip. She'd almost forgotten about that. Not only had Jade been through some kind of horrific ordeal, but she'd also tried to take her own life. Twice. Tori fought back tears as she tried to imagine what could possibly have happened to make Jade go to such extremes. Someone had obviously hurt her, there was no doubt about that. But what exactly had they done? There was that plural again, _they_. Which meant more than one. What horrible things had they done? And exactly how many people were involved here? Tori wasn't sure she even wanted to know, but she knew that it would have to come out eventually. It was the only way Jade would be able to move forward, the only way _any _of them would be able to move forward. Tori ran her fingers across the raised skin on Jade's arm, crying softly.

_'Why would _anyone_ want to hurt you?' _Tori wondered.

A soft tapping at the door made Tori jump. Vanessa opened the door slowly and entered the room, giving a gentle smile.

"Hey," she whispered, taking a seat at the end of the half-latina's bed. She shot a quick glance at Jade, whose mouth was hanging open slightly. "How is she?"

Tori's eyes remained focused on the raven-haired woman sleeping beside her. The corners of her mouth turned down.

"Not good," she answered quietly. "I guess we'll find out just how bad it is when she wakes up." A tear slid down her cheek.

"Hey," Vanessa said, touching the girl's arm. "She's gonna be okay."

"I've never seen her look so broken before," Tori whispered. Her voice broke. "She's so close to the edge, I can feel it." She turned to meet the girl's eyes. "I'm so scared I'm gonna lose her Ness, like _really_ lose her." She turned her attention back to Jade and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I'm so scared...I don't wanna lose her."

Vanessa sat back and watched helplessly as the young brunette began to cry. The poor girl was so broken, so helpless. Tori was terrified for Jade, but she had no idea how to help her. It reminded her of how she had felt when Jenna had tried to kill herself the first time. Vanessa shuddered. When she had gotten that call from the girl's parents, she had felt as if her whole world had fallen apart. What had made Jenna feel so low as to want to end her life? Was it something _she_ had done? Had someone else hurt her? Vanessa had been determined to help her best friend through it all, and failed. The guilt that she felt over that would remain with her until the day she died. She wouldn't let that happen to Tori. She wouldn't let her lose the love of her life, the woman of her dreams. She wouldn't let the others lose one of their greatest friends. God knows what she would do if she lost Beck. No. She had already lost one person that she cared about, and although she and Jade barely knew each other-yet, Vanessa wasn't going to let anything happen to her. She wouldn't let the woman share the same fate as her friend had. She was determined to help Tori and her raven-haired girlfriend, no matter the cost.

"Tori, you're not gonna lose her," Vanessa promised. "I swear to you, we'll help her get through this. It's gonna be hard, but we'll make her talk. She'll have no choice. It can't be avoided any longer."

Tori sniffed and looked up at her.

"What if she doesn't _want _to talk?" she asked.

"Oh, she'll talk, don't you worry about _that_," Vanessa answered, turning serious. "After what Trina was telling me, there's no _way_ Jade will be leaving this room without an explanation."

Tori began to answer her, but instead yawned loudly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, scratching her head. "As much as I _really _want to know what happened to Jade, I think we all need to get some rest." Another yawn escaped the half-latina. "It's been a long night," she groaned. "I'm so tired."

Vanessa nodded. "You've got a point," she admitted, "get some rest." The blue-eyed girl stood up and stretched. "I'll go and sleep downstairs. But tomorrow," she said, tilting her head in Jade's direction, "she talks."

Tori nodded her head and watched Vanessa as she left the room.

Once she was gone, Tori climbed into bed beside her beloved and put her arms around her, pressing their foreheads together. It didn't take long before her fatigue took hold of her, and she finally drifted off to sleep, wishing her father were there.

* * *

_5 years ago..._

"Hello Jadelyn," the blonde woman sneered, leaning over her exposed lower half. If there was one person she hated more than _him_, it was this bitch. _Evil _didn't even _begin_ to describe this monster. Jade struggled against the ropes that bound her, trying desperately to slide away from the woman. But to no avail. The woman raised a hand, revealing a shining object that Jade recognised only too well.

"You like scissors don't you?" blondie said sweetly. Jade could hear the malice in her words. Her pale-green eyes widened with horror as she realised what was about to happen. She tried to scream, but the cloth tied around her mouth prevented her from doing any such thing. She was helpless. Tears began to fall down her face.

The blonde-haired woman leaned in closer, trailing the red-handled scissors down Jade's abdomen, and along her thigh.

"You do? Then you're gonna _love_ this."

* * *

_Present day..._

Jade woke up and threw back the covers, screaming. Tori's eyes flew open and she reached for the bedside lamp.

"What's wrong Jade?" she demanded, taking hold of the woman. Jade's screaming turned into intense, heavy breathing.

"N-n-nothing," she stammered, "j-just a bad d-dream. I-it's f-f-f-fine." Tori looked at her with deep concern and frowned.

"It's really not, is it?" she asked softly, rubbing Jade's shoulders. Jade shook her head, not bothering to hide her tears.

"N-no, but I don't wanna talk about it," she murmured. She rolled onto her side, facing away from Tori, and pulled the covers back over herself, pretending to be sleeping. She felt Tori's arms wrap themselves around her waist and then a chin plant itself on her shoulder.

"Get some sleep," the brunette whispered, kissing Jade's neck softly. "We'll talk in the morning." On the end she added, "I love you."

"Love you too," Jade mumbled. It didn't take long for Tori to fall back to sleep. Her breathing grew quiet and her body slackened, but her arms remained firmly locked around the dark-haired girl. Jade cried quietly, amazed at how dedicated Tori was. She didn't deserve her. Tori was too good for her. She didn't need a fucked-up, worthless, broken-beyond-repair piece of shit like her in her life. And yet she still stayed by her side. Why? The answer came to her almost as soon as the last thought left her mind. Tori loved her. And she would always love her, despite everything that had happened between them. The way she was holding her right now was further proof of her love. Even in the land of sleep, she refused to let Jade go. But would that love still be as strong once she found out the truth about what had happened? Would she still want to be around her? Or would she send her packing?

Jade closed her eyes and tried desperately to force the thoughts out of her head. She needed to rest. God knew she was going to need it. As sleep took over, a final thought entered her mind.

_'How the hell am I gonna tell them what happened to me without destroying everything?'_

* * *

**I'm such a tease, I know. **

**I wanna know ****_your _****theories on this, who do ****_you_**** think could be responsible for what happened to our dear Jadelyn? And what terrible things do you think may have happened to her? (I already know, I just wanna see if any of you can get remotely close)**

**Cya next time!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey there folks! Ready for some more heart-wrenching chapters? Of course you are! So, just to get you all excited, I've written up the final chapters for this story in my absence, so you're all gonna be treated to a bunch of updates as we make our way towards the end. By this time tomorrow (or maybe earlier if we're lucky), it will all be over. There will be heartache. There will be tears. But more importantly, I just hope it lives up to your expectations.**

**To everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed this story so far, thank you all so very, very much. It means so much to me.**

**For anyone who has been following my other story, 'You Found Me', the final chapter has been posted today, so head on over and check it out. Let me know what you think.**

**Anyway, here comes chapter 26 :)**

* * *

When Jade woke the next morning, she was met with a pair of beautiful chocolate-brown eyes.

"Hey," Tori whispered, touching her cheek. She gave a small smile. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Jade answered, averting her gaze. She'd hardly gotten any sleep, and everytime she moved, she felt her stomach clench. Oh yeah, and there was the increasing anxiety over the fact that she had completely flipped out last night and would now have to explain herself. Yeah, she felt awful. Tori's face turned serious.

"Talk to me Jade," she said softly, "tell me what's going on."

Panic seized the raven-haired woman. She knew there would eventually come a time where she would have to tell Tori and the others exactly what had happened, but was she really ready to speak _now_? Did she even have a _choice_?

She sighed.

I don't know if I can," she said quietly.

"Jade," Tori said, "Vanessa's downstairs, and she's gonna _make _you talk. You may as well tell me now before she comes up here."

"Tori I can't," Jade whispered. "Please don't make me." Tori gave her a sympathetic smile.

"You're gonna have to talk eventually."

"But not now," Jade finalised, becoming teary-eyed. "Right now, I just want my girlfriend to hold me and tell me everything's going to be okay."

"Oh Jade..." Tori murmured, pulling the woman into her arms. She placed a soft kiss on Jade's forehead.

"It's okay baby," she soothed. "I'm here. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

Jade began sobbing, and Tori pulled her closer to her.

"I don't wanna be alone," Jade cried into her chest. Tori began stroking her dark hair gently.

"You'll never be alone Jade," Tori promised. "Not as long as I'm here."

Jade sniffed. "I love you," she croaked.

"I love you too," the brunette whispered.

They lay in silence until Jade's crying had ceased. Tori then asked her if she was hungry.

"A little," Jade admitted, sitting up. Tori followed suit.

"Do you want me to make you some breakfast?" she offered.

"Yeah."

"What do you feel like?"

Jade gave her a half-smile.

"Pancakes."

* * *

Jade lay back against the pillows, crossing her arms behind her head. She'd hit a fork in the road. She had two options: either she could tell Tori and the others what had happened and try to get help, or; she could continue to headbutt with them and hide the truth, and in turn _lose _the love of her life. Jade knew which option she _didn't_ want, but she also wasn't sure if she was ready to give the other option a try. Why couldn't there be a third option, where none of this had ever happened and she and Tori were living happily ever after? And didn't forks have three prongs _anyway_? Jade sighed. Why did life have to be so damn hard?

A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts.

"It's Vanessa," a soft voice spoke, "can I come in?" Jade groaned internally.

_'Here comes the onslaught.'_

"Sure," she answered, sitting up again, crossing her legs under the covers.

The door opened and Vanessa walked in, looking grim.

"Wow, you look how I feel," Jade teased. The blue-eyed girl sat at the edge of the bed, not smiling.

"I hardly slept last night," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I was up talking to Trina. Did you know she's been _cutting_ herself?"

"_What?!_" She couldn't be serious. No _way_ would Trina do that.

"She showed me last night," Vanessa frowned. "Said she couldn't handle any more drama. She's worried about you and Tori."

"Fuck," Jade breathed. "What did Andre have to say about it?"

"He left early last night to see his grandma," Vanessa answered. "Some monthly family dinner they have at the old folks' home."  
"Do you think he knows?" Jade asked. Vanessa shrugged.

"Hard to say. But the marks look recent, like, _really _recent."

"You think she's just started?"

"I think so," Vanessa nodded.

"It needs to stop."

"I know," Vanessa agreed, "but I don't know what to do."

"I thought you were an expert on this kinda stuff," Jade noted.

"I have experience with it, doesn't make me an expert,"Vanessa snapped.

"I'm sorry," Jade said quietly, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine, I'm just tired," Vanessa spoke, waving her off.

"Aren't we all?" Jade muttered.

"Are you alright?" Vanessa asked, meeting her eyes.

"You wanna know what happened to me," Jade said, cutting to the chase.

"We _all_ wanna know," Vanessa corrected.

"And you're not gonna let me avoid it any longer are you?"

"Nope."

Jade considered this for a moment. They would make her talk, there was no doubt about that. She could see it in Vanessa's eyes. Before the day was over, she would have answers. It was inevitable. The raven-haired woman sighed.

"Then promise me something," she finally spoke.

"Name it." Vanessa's expression was serious.

"Promise me Tori and the others will be safe, no matter what happens." She locked eyes with the blue-eyed girl, trying to convey to her just how important this was.

"I promise," Vanessa said. "My uncle's a cop."

"And?" Jade needed more than that.

"He won't let anything happen to them."

"How can you be so sure?" Jade pressed.

"Okay first of all," Vanessa answered, "he's a _cop_. It's his job. Second of all, he's my _uncle_. He'd do anything for me. _Third_," she emphasised, "he's Tori's dad's ex-partner. He'll do whatever it takes to protect them."

"Wait, you uncle is that Gary guy?" Jade couldn't believe it. She'd met him once, back when that crazy "Ponnie" girl had been terrorising Tori all those years ago. He'd seemed genuine enough.

"Yeah, you know him?" Vanessa asked.

"I met him once, he seemed alright."

"He won't let anything happen to Tori and the others," the blue-eyed girl promised.

Tori came back into the room then, carrying a tray of freshly made pancakes. She smiled at Vanessa.

"I wondered where you'd gone," she said, setting the tray down on the bedside table. She sat down beside Jade and put an arm around her.

"Have you told her anything yet?" the half-latina asked. Jade shook her head.

"No," she answered, meeting Vanessa's eyes, "but if you go and get Trina up here, I'll tell you all whatever you wanna know."

* * *

**Finally, here it comes. Next chapter: Jade's ordeal.**

**Stay tuned, it's gonna get heavy.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Here it is guys, the moment you've all been waiting for. You have no ****_idea _****how much research and planning I had to do for this one. Escape tactics, effects of adrenaline on the human body...I actually tied myself up and tested out different ways of escape too! ****_That _****was hilariously awkward. Needless to say, my little brother and sister were amused, watching me rolling around on the floor like an idiot and nearly knocking myself out by accident :p On the plus side, I now know multiple ways to escape if I'm ever in a hostage situation, haha.**

**There may some triggers in this chapter, so please be warned. It gets really intense, really dark, and a hell of a lot sadistic.**

**Also, if there's any typos, I apologise. I didn't take the time to re-read over this one, I just wanted to get it out to you all ASAP.**

**Enjoy. And please review. I really need your opinions on this one.**

* * *

_5 years ago...(Graduation Day)_

_3:00 pm..._

"I can't believe it's over," Tori breathed as the gang headed back towards the Hollywood Arts carpark.

"I know, it's crazy," Andre agreed. "Seems like only yesterday we were walking into Sikowitz's classroom for the first time."

"It's gone by so fast," Beck added. "But hey, it doesn't have to mean the end of our friendships right?"

"Right," everyone agreed.

"So, we going to Nozu tonight to celebrate?" Tori asked, clasping her hands together. There was a collective "yeah" from the group. The half-latina grinned.

"Great," she exclaimed. "Six o'clock sound alright?"

Everyone murmured their confirmation and then made their way to their vehicles. Jade began walking to her mother's car when a hand took hold of her arm.

"Need me to pick you up tonight?" Beck asked, smiling down at her. Jade shook her head and returned the smile.

"Nah, I'll drive myself there," she answered. "Girls take longer to get ready than boys, remember? You'll probably be early."

Beck flashed her a grin. "That's true," he agreed. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around the dark-haired girl.

"How about we have our own little 'after party' after dinner tonight?" he spoke, winking. Jade smiled up at him. She shot a quick glance over at Tori, who was climbing into the back of her parents' car.

_'I wonder what an after party with _her _would be like-'_

"Sure," she said quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed her checking out the half-latina. Obviously not. He gave her a heart-warming smile and pressed their foreheads together.

"Sweet," he whispered. "I'll see you tonight then."

"You sure will," Jade murmured, stretching up to kiss the boy. Beck leaned down and pressed their lips together. When he pulled away, the smile was still on his face.

"I love you," he said quietly, releasing his hold on the raven-haired woman.

"Love you too."

Beck gave her another quick kiss and then made his way back to his truck. Jade turned around and made her way back towards her mother, growing excited about the night ahead.

* * *

_4:00 pm..._

"Mom, have you seen my hairbr- where are _you _going?"

Mary Jones (she'd changed it back from West after the divorce) was pulling on a black sweater, checking herself out in the hallway mirror. Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun, and she turned to face her daughter. It was easy to tell they were related. Same dark-dyed hair, same pale-green eyes, and the same smart-ass smirk.

"Out," the older woman answered, running her hands down her hips. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Ooh, do tell," Jade grinned, poking her mother in the ribs. Mary giggled.

"Just a guy I met a few weeks ago," she said, growing even more red. "I met him through a couple of friends.

"What's his name?" Jade asked, "_Joseph?_"

"Very funny dear," her mother laughed, "but no. It's Nathan. He's really sweet."

"Sound like _somebody _has a little crush," Jade teased. Mary shook her head in amusement.

"Don't you have to get ready for _your_ outing?" she said in an attempt to change the subject. Jade nodded.

"Yeah, I do," Jade answered, "but I wanna know more about this _guy _you're planning on bringing home."

"As much as I'd love to stay and talk, I've gotta go," the older woman sighed, secretly relieved that she didn't have to endure an interrogation from her daughter. Jade rolled her eyes.

"Of _course _you do," she joked, raising an eyebrow. Mary laughed and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"I really do," she whispered, brushing loose strands of hair from the girl's face. "Have fun tonight."

"You too," Jade smiled.

"I love you Jade," Mary said, walking to the door.

"I love you too Mom."

Mary opened the front door and stepped outside. She poked her head back in.

"By the way, your hairbrush is on your bed, where you left it."

* * *

_5:30 pm..._

Finally, she was ready to go. Jade closed the door behind her and locked, making her way over to the car. A movement to her left caused her to freeze and look around. Huh, no one there. As she approached the driver side door, she noticed a familiar face reflected in the window. She had no time to react. A pair of hands seized her and she felt something solid hit her head. Stars danced before her eyes, and then everything faded to black.

* * *

_6:30 pm..._

Jade woke up in an unfamiliar basement. Her head hurt from where she had been hit. She attempted to sit up, only to find that both her hands and feet were bound tightly with rope. Screaming was a no-hope, her captors had gagged her as well.

"Jadelyn, what a pleasant surprise to see you."  
That voice, it couldn't be...

The man stepped into the light and Jade felt her stomach turn. _Now _she knew where she was. And she wanted _out_. She struggled against the ropes, trying to break free.

"Stop moving!" the dark-haired man ordered, sending her sliding across the floor with the force of his kick. Jade felt tears spring to her eyes. What was he going to _do _to her?

"That's better," he said when she stopped moving. Snapping his fingers, two other figures emerged from the shadows.

_'No...'_

A blonde-haired woman and a sandy-haired boy stepped up beside the older man, who was now holding Jade up by the hair. He licked his lips and smiled. The other two laughed maniacally.

"Time for your graduation gift."

The man released her, letting her fall to the floor. The boy and woman held her shoulders, pinning her to the ground. Wearing a sadistic grin, the older man knelt in front of her and unzipped her pants, pulling them and her underwear down to her ankles. Tears fell down Jade's face as she tried to move. The weight on her shoulders was too much. She wasn't going anywhere. She silently screamed for someone, _anyone_, to come and help her. The man stood up and began to unzip his own pants. Once he'd done that, he sat on Jade's legs and put his hands around her throat, squeezing with just enough pressure that it hurt, but not enough to cut off her breathing.

_'No. No, no, no, no, please, no,' _Jade cried to the skies, as the man mounted her and forced his way inside, smiling the whole time.

* * *

_7:30 pm..._

Jade lay in a pool of her own blood, silently weeping. This wasn't how her first time was supposed to be. It was supposed to be with someone she loved, someone who loved her in return. It was supposed to be beautiful, and sweet, and _consensual_, and...

This had been nothing like she'd imagined.

Jade turned her head to see what her three captors were doing. They stood off to a corner of the room, in front of a small table, discussing something. The older man broke free from the group and walked over to her with his hands behind his back.

"Ready for more?" he smirked.

"Fuck you," Jade growled, her voice muffled by the fabric in her mouth. The dark-haired man's smile grew, and he produced a baseball bat from behind his back. Holding it in front of him, he swung it into Jade's stomach. A howl of pain escaped her lips and she tried sliding away.

"Not so fast," he murmured, taking hold of her shirt. "Claire, Jacob, help me hang her up."

The woman and boy walked over to them and helped Jade stand. They then proceeded to untie the ropes around her wrists and pull her arms up above her head.

"Andrew, the handcuffs?" Claire asked, holding out a hand.  
The dark-haired man produced a pair of silver handcuffs from his rear pocket and handed it to the blonde woman. She hung them over a railing on the ceiling and then motioned for the young boy to help lift Jade up. The older man-Andrew, reached up and clamped the handcuffs around Jade's wrists, making sure they were tight.

"Perfect," he grinned.

Jade whimpered and rattled the chains in an attempt to break free. Andrew laughed.

"Try all you want, you're not gonna get away," he taunted, brushing the steel bat across her stomach. Jade squeezed her eyes shut. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"Open your eyes bitch," Andrew shouted, slapping her across the face. Jade's eyes flew open. Maybe if she did as he ordered, he wouldn't hurt her as much.

The dark-haired man swung the bat back, and then brought it forward, hitting Jade right across the stomach. The wind was knocked out of her and she felt stars dance in front of her eyes.

_'Oh please let me black out,' _she begged. _'I don't wanna feel this pain.'_

Her eyes began to close, and then she felt a sharp prick in her arm. Her senses suddenly heightened. It was as if she'd just been injected with a shot of adrenaline. Which, Jade realised, she _was_.

"Don't you _dare_," Andrew growled, throwing the syringe aside. "You're gonna feel every last part of it."

Jacob and Claire retreated back to the table. Jacob came back wielding a bat identical to the older man's. He held it in front of him handle-first and rammed it into Jade's ribs, causing her to cough up blood through her gag. Claire stepped forward and raised her fists, which were lined with brass knuckles. Jade's eyes widened in horror.

_'Please make it stop, please.'_

The blonde woman smiled sweetly and began pummeling her ribcage, laughing.

Tears fell down Jade's face as the other two joined in the beating, and she prayed the nightmare would end soon.

* * *

_8:30 pm..._

When they finally stopped, the three unchained Jade from the ceiling and bound her wrists with rope once more. Jade lay on her side in a semi-fetal position, breathing heavily. Her entire body was aching; she didn't know how much more she could take. She just wanted it to stop. Surely it couldn't keep on going, could it?

The sandy-haired boy walked towards her slowly, holding a knife in his hand. Setting it down on the floor beside his feet, he unzipped his pants.

_'Oh God no, please not him too,' _Jade silently screamed.

"You deserve this you know?" the boy spoke, sliding his boxers down his legs. "You left me you bitch. You chose _her _over me." He rolled Jade onto her back and crawled on top of her, holding the knife to her throat. "No you're gonna pay."

Jade tried telling him to stop, but all that came out was a muffled cry.

"Don't move," Jacob whispered, pressing the blade in harder. A small trickle of blood ran down Jade's pale neck. "If you do, I'll kill you." Jade looked past the boy over to the corner where Andrew and Claire stood, watching on with hungry expressions. These people were _sick_. So, so sick. If she ever got out of here, Jade swore to herself that she would get revenge.

"I said don't move!" Jacob growled, hitting Jade across the mouth with the knife's hilt. Jade stayed still; her head remained tilted to the side.

As the boy held the knife to her throat and thrust himself in and out, Jade stared at Claire and Andrew's feet, wishing they would hurry up and kill her already.

* * *

_9:30 pm..._

Another shot of adrenaline. Jade felt her heart rate increase. She wanted things to slow down, not speed up. She wanted her heart to stop, not beat. Death would be a much better option than this.

_'Please just make it stop...'_

Her shirt was torn, and her pants still hung around her ankles. This was wrong. She should've been at Nozu hours ago, enjoying her freedom with the others. She should've been laughing with Beck, and dancing with Tori...

The clicking of high heels brought her back to reality. Claire stood in front of her, with her arms crossed. She knelt down and leaned over Jade, placing her hands on either side of her.

"Hello Jadelyn," she sneered, pulling a pair of scissors out of her back pocket. "You like scissors don't you?"

Jade's eyes widened.

_'No. No. No, no, no, no ,no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!'_

She couldn't scream. She couldn't move. All she could do was lay there and cry. She felt the cool metal brush against the skin on her stomach, and along her left thigh. Claire smirked.

"You do? Then you're gonna _love _this."

The woman forced the shining metallic object between Jade's legs, and the girl screamed.

* * *

_10:00 pm..._

As soon as the woman finished, she stood up and wiped her mouth.

"That was _fun_," she breathed, running her tongue along the metal. "Did you enjoy it?"

Jade refused to meet her eyes. She felt disgusting, worthless. _Violated_. She would never touch another pair of scissors as long as she lived, unless it was to drive them into the blonde bitch's throat.

"Think you;re tough do you?" the blonde sneered, kicking her in the stomach. Jade stayed still.

_'Pretend to be dead, maybe they'll leave you alone,' _a voice in her head whispered. It sounded and awful lot like...

"Look at me when I talk to you!" Claire screamed, kicking her again. Jade remained frozen in place.

_'Stay still Jade, just stay still.'_

"You think pretending to be dead is gonna work?" the woman barked, picking her up by the hair. She began punching her in the face over and over, until blood started to leak from the girl's nose.

"Claire, it's getting late, we should go to bed," Andrew spoke, coming up beside her. The blonde woman pouted.

"But, I was just starting to have fun," she whined. Andrew chuckled.

"I know, but we can pick up where we left off tomorrow," he promised. He smirked at Jade. "It's not like she's going anywhere."

Claire released her and let her fall to the ground. She turned to Andrew.

"What if I can't sleep?" she asked sweetly. The dark-haired man smiled.

"Then by all means, come back down here and have some more fun."

Claire walked back upstairs, taking a yawning Jacob with her. When they were out of sight, Andrew knelt down beside Jade and brushed the hair from her eyes. Jade flinched.

"I'm not gonna _force _you to stay here," he said quietly, "but if somehow you _do _manage to escape, you better not tell a _soul_ about what happened here. If you _do_," he warned, "I'll see to it that everyone you care about is killed. Including that girl you like- what was her name again? Tori?" Jade's eyes widened in horror.

_'No.'_

Andrew smiled menacingly. "What, you think I didn't _know_?" he taunted. "I saw the way you looked at her when you invited me to that awful play of yours. You love her." His smile grew even more menacing.

"If you tell _anyone_, I'll not only _kill _her, but I'll make sure she goes through _exactly _what you did, before I end her life. Are we clear?"

Jade nodded her head. She wouldn't let anything happen to the half-latina, to _any _of her friends.

"Good." Andrew stood up and walked over to the staircase. He looked over his shoulder and gave Jade a smile that chilled her to the bone.

"Sweet dreams, Jadelyn."

* * *

_11:00 pm..._

Finally, she was alone. Jade had been staring at the staircase for an hour, waiting to see if someone would come back. When no one had, she began plotting her escape. Surely there was a way out of here _somewhere_.

Jade rolled onto her other side, facing away from the stairs, and tried to stand. It was no use. Her body screamed in agony and she fell back against the wall, rolling herself into the corner. She had to get out of here, she _had _to. Tears began falling down her face again. She was scared. There _had _to be a way out of here. She didn't want to go through those horrors again. She had to get out of here before they came back.

She had to get out before they decided to come back and kill her.

* * *

_11:30 pm..._

Jade looked around the room, trying to find a way out. There was the staircase, but that would involve going through the house, and knowing her luck, someone would wake up and catch her. And who _knows _what they would do then.

Jade shuddered as she considered her options. Take the stairs and risk getting caught, or try to find another escape- if there even _was _one?

She scanned the room once more and spotted a window off to her left, against the same wall as the table she'd seen earlier. It appeared to be the only other way out. Could she make it?

Jade rolled onto her side and tried pushing herself along the floor- not easy to do when your hands and feet are bound. She made it about half a metre before giving up. This was impossible. There was no _way_ she could make it all the way across the room and climb out of the window in this state.

Jade rolled herself onto her back and lay staring at the ceiling. She was going to die here. No one knew where she was. Did they even _care_? They were probably _glad _to see her gone. Tori was probably the happiest of them all. She'd done nothing but treat the half-latina like dirt for the last three years. Why couldn't she have just told her how she felt instead of living a lie with Beck, who she didn't really love as much as she claimed? Why, why, _why_?

Tears streamed down Jade's face as she realised she would never get a chance to tell Tori she loved her.

* * *

_11:45 pm..._

_'Jade..' _a voice whispered in her head. _'Jade, wake up.'_

Jade's eyes remained closed. All she wanted was to be left alone.

_'Jade, you need to wake up,' _the voice continued. _'You need to get out of here.'_

_'I can't,' _Jade answered, shaking her head. _'I'm too weak.'_

_'You're not too weak. I know you can do this. I can help you.'_

_'You're wrong. I can't do it.'_

_'Jadelyn West, you open your eyes _right _now!'_

Jade's eyes flew open. She knew that voice. But how had Tori found her? No one had known where she was.

So then why was the brunette girl standing in front of her?

No, this had to be a dream. That or those assholes had injected her with some kind of hallucinogen as well as the adrenaline. Or maybe it was just the adrenaline. They _had _given her a few shots after all.

_'Jade,' _Tori whispered, _'get up.'_

Jade blinked several times. Tori's form began to flicker. Definitely a hallucination. But it was all she had right now.

_'Tori, help me,' _Jade begged, struggling against her ropes.

Tori took a few steps forward and knelt down in front of her. She smiled at the dark-haired woman reassuringly.

_'Don't worry Jade, I'm gonna get you out of here,' _she promised. _'But you need to do exactly as I say. Can you do that for me?'_

Jade nodded. She would do _anything _for Tori.

_'Good. Alright, first things first, you need to stand up.'_

_'How?' _Jade asked, _'I'm tied up. It's impossible.'_

_'It's difficult, but not impossible,' _Tori answered. _'First, you need to sit up and bend your knees.'_

Jade did as she was directed, using the wall as support. She pulled her knees up as far as she could.

_'Like this?' _she asked. The Tori-hallucination nodded.

_'Just like that,' _she confirmed. _'Next, press your hands against the wall.' _

Jade tried, but with the way her hands were tied, she could only do it with one.

_'I can't, my hands are tied funny.'_

_'Then press one against the wall and use the other to brace your wrist,' _Tori offered.

_'That's better,' _Jade thought.

_'Now this is gonna feel extremely uncomfortable,' _Tori began, _'but you need to push your knees back as far as you can, for this to work properly. And do the same with your elbows.'_

_'My hands are moving up,' _Jade said as she followed the girl's instructions.

_'That's okay, you need your hands to be as far up your back as possible.'_

_'Okay, _now _what?'_

_'Now, keep your hand pressed against the wall, and slowly push your way up,' _Tori directed. _'Keep pulling your feet back as you go, or you'll stretch yourself too far out and mess it up.'_

Jade inhaled deeply through her nose and braced herself.

_'Alright, here goes...'_

* * *

_12:30 am..._

Jade sat at the bottom of the shower, crying. She was lucky to have escaped. Once she's forced herself to stand up- with Tori's coaching- she'd hopped her way over to the table and cut her ropes with the knife Jacob had held against her throat. She pulled the cloth out of her mouth, pulled her pants back up, and then began dragging the table underneath the window. She'd then picked up her handbag from the corner of the room and slung it over her shoulder, and then picked up a baseball bat.

Standing on the table, Jade had swung back and smashed the window, scrambling out as fast as she could. The moment her feet had hit the ground, she began running.

Now, back at home, she was pounding her fists against the glass doors of the shower, trying to erase the memories. She felt so dirty and used. Her body ached with every breath she took. She wanted to see Tori again, just like she had when she was laying in the basement. She wanted the girl to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But she couldn't see her. If she went to see Tori now, she would _know _something was wrong and demand answers, and Jade couldn't tell her. She couldn't tell _anyone_. And as long as she remained here in Los Angeles, no one was safe.

With shaking hands, Jade stood up and climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. She staggered down the hallway to her bedroom, painfully dressed herself, covered up her bruises, left her mother a goodbye note, and then made her way downstairs. She glanced at the clock on the wall in the living room. 1:30 am. Beck would still be awake. She didn't want him to see her like this, but she had to do it.

She had to break his heart, before she left Hollywood behind forever.

* * *

_2:30 am..._

Beck had reacted exactly as she'd expected. He'd asked questions, but didn't demand an answer. And when she'd walked away, he didn't try to stop her. Jade was thankful for that. If the boy had tried to make her stay, God knows what would've happened. It was better this way. He could move on with his life and forget all about her. As for the others, well...they'd forget about her pretty quickly too.

Jade wiped at her eyes as she slid into the passenger side of the cab. She'd decided to leave her car at home and walk to Beck's, and then catch a ride out of town, just in case her three captors came after her. They'd be looking for her car, and if she wasn't driving it...well, at least she's have a head start on them.

The man beside her smiled,

"Where to?" he asked politely.

"Um..."

Suddenly, Jade's phone vibrated in her pocket. Her heart stopped when she saw who it was from. Jacob.

_You can run but you can't hide Jade._

So they _had _noticed she was missing. How far away were they? Were they even _looking _for her, or was Jacob's message just a threat? Jade didn't know, but one thing was for certain.

She turned to the driver.

"Get me as far away from here as possible."

* * *

_Present day..._

Jade sat on the bed with tear-stained cheeks. She'd stopped crying ages ago. No more tears would fall. She'd cried them all out. Now, she only felt an incredible numbness, and a heavy feeling in her chest. She'd told them, she had finally told them. And it had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in her life.

Tori, Trina and Vanessa sat frozen on the bed, their faces whiter than the bedsheets. Tori was the first to speak.

"No..." she breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. Fresh tears began to fall down her face. "It can't be- you're lying. You _have _to be lying." She stood up and ran from the room, shielding her face with her arms. Trina ran after her.

"Tori, wait!" she called.

Jade stared after her. She'd destroyed Tori. This was the icing on her cake. She _knew _she shouldn't have told her. This was all her fault. She had to make it right.

Jade slid off the bed and stood up.

"Jade?" Vanessa whispered. Jade looked at her.

"What?"

The blue-eyed girl swallowed. "We need names," she said quietly. "Then we can help."

Jade turned away from her and walked towards the door.

"Names can wait," she spoke, grinding her teeth. "Right now I have to make sure my girlfriend doesn't fall apart again."

* * *

**Wait for it...**

**...**

**...**

**Okay, you can all kill me now.**


	28. Chapter 28

***Holds hands up defensively***

**Not speaking. Shutting up. All I'll say is, sorry this is a short one.**

**Let's go.**

* * *

Downstairs, Jade found Tori sitting on the sofa in her sister's arms, crying hysterically.

"How could they _do _that to her?" she wailed, gripping Trina's shirt tightly. "How could they _hurt _her like that?"

Jade's eyes began to fill with tears as she walked over to the two sisters. She knelt in front of Tori.

"Tori, baby, can you hear me?" she whispered, touching the girl's knee. Tori pulled away from her sister and stared wide-eyed at Jade. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was visibly shaking.

"Jade?" she choked, reaching for her. She fell forwards and Jade caught her in her arms, holding her tightly.

"It's okay Tori, I'm here," she said quietly, fighting back tears. She had to stay strong. Her girl was falling apart- again. She needed to stay strong for Tori.

"Why would they hurt you Jade?" the brunette cried into her shoulder. "Why would they do that to you?"

Jade felt her knees go weak and she sank to the floor, bringing Tori with her.

"I don't know baby," she murmured, stroking the girl's hair. "I just don't know."

Gently pushing Tori backwards, Jade looked into her eyes.

"Tori, I never meant to hurt you," she whispered as tears began to spill from her eyes. "All I ever wanted to do was protect you. I didn't tell you what happened because I didn't want you to get hurt. I love you _too _much to let that happen."

A small choking sound escaped Trina and Jade looked over Tori's shoulder at her. Tears were falling down the older Vega's face, and she was holding a hand over her mouth.

"Trina..."

"I'm fine," Trina said quickly, holding up a hand. "I'm fine. I just...I'm...I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry about? It's not your fault," Jade reassured. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Trina climbed off the sofa and knelt down beside the two crying girls, putting her arms around them.

"We'll catch those motherfuckers," Trina promised, gripping Tori and Jade tightly. "Mark my words, they're gonna _pay_."

* * *

When their crying had ceased, and Vanessa had come downstairs to check on them, Jade and Trina helped Tori stand. She still felt weak, and she held on tightly to Jade for support. Jade's arms stayed firmly wrapped around her, and her lips were pressed to the girl's forehead.

"You alright?" she murmured, as she watched Trina and Vanessa discussing something in the kitchen. She felt the half-latina's fingers grip her shirt tighter.

"I'm fine, just...just don't let me go," Tori answered, burying her face in the woman's chest.

Jade kissed the top of her head. "I won't, I promise."

Trina stepped away from Vanessa and walked over to the two lovers.

"What's up?" Jade asked, resting her chin on Tori's shoulder.

"Vanessa and I were talking," Trina said, "and we thought it might be best if you and Tori spent some time along together, to talk through things." She held her hands up, cutting Jade's words off. "I'm not trying to kick you out or anything, I just think you two need to take a break from the rest of the world, at least for a day. God knows you need it."

Jade nodded. "Yeah, we all do," she agreed. She rubbed a hand up and down Tori's back.

"Hey Tori, do you wanna come back to my house for a while?" she whispered. The brunette pulled away from her and looked at Trina with a worried expression.

"Will you be okay on your own?" she asked, taking her hand. Trina gave her a small smile.

"I'll be fine," she said, "I've got Andre. And Vanessa." She squeezed Tori's hand. "They'll take care of me."

Tori looked back at Jade. "I'll go pack a bag," she muttered, walking to the stairs.

When she was out of sight, Jade stepped in front of Trina and gripped her wrists. The older Vega hissed in pain.

"Jade, what are you-"

"I know about your cutting," Jade said in a low voice, "and I suggest you stop. Don't you think Tori's gone through enough already without having to worry about her older sister too?"

Trina nodded her head furiously. "You're right, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Jade raised an eyebrow. Trina looked to her right and saw Tori coming back down the staircase. She looked so miserable. Did she _really_ want to add to that depression?

She locked eyes with the raven-haired woman.

"I promise."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29. Wow. We've come a long way haven't we? We've still got a bit to go though.**

**So this chapter, it's definitely my favourite out of the lot. You'll see why ;) I've had ****_this _****moment planned out in my head for a long time. Finally, ****_finally _****I'm able to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. Think I might save my shout-outs and other drabble for the end of this chapter, or I'll give something away.**

**Read on my lovelies...**

* * *

"Tori are you alright? You're being awfully quiet."

"Hmm?" Tori looked up from the Scrabble board. Her chin was resting in her hand, and she had a frown on her face.

"I said are you alright?" Jade repeated, writing down her score. 120 to 88, Jade's way. It was unusual for her to be winning. Tori was usually the smart one.

Tori looked down and began fumbling with her letter tiles. "Fine," she mumbled, "I'm just trying to come up with a word." Jade sighed. It was a lie and she knew it.

"Maybe we should do something that doesn't involve as much concentration," Jade offered, setting the pen down. Tori shook her head.

"It's _fine_," she growled, still shuffling the tiles. "Dammit, how do you spell _'choir'_ again?"

"Tori, stop," Jade said, placing a hand over the half-latina's. "I know you're upset-"

"Why did it have to be _you_?" Tori shouted, slamming a fist on the kitchen table. Jade flinched.

"Tori-"

"Why did they have to hurt _you_?" Tori continued as tears fell down her cheeks. "I don't understand...you didn't do anything wrong. Why would they do that to you if you didn't do anything?"

"Because some people are assholes Tori," Jade answered quietly, squeezing her hand. "Assholes who get a kick out of destroying other peoples' lives."

Tori looked up and met her eyes. "I'm so sorry Jade," she whispered. Jade blinked.

"For what?" she asked.

"For getting mad at you when you wouldn't tell me why you left," Tori mumbled. "I had no idea it was that bad."

"Tori, you don't need to apologise," Jade said softly, wiping away the girl's tears with her thumb. "You didn't know something like that would happen."

"It doesn't mean I feel any less bad," Tori choked as her shoulders shook and her sobbing increased.

"Oh Tori..." Jade sighed as she stood up and walked over to the brunette's side. She knelt down beside her and put a hand on her knee.

"Tori, you can't hold yourself responsible for what happened to me okay?" she whispered. "It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

Tori sniffed. "They hurt you so bad," she sobbed.

"I know baby," Jade said, kissing her on the cheek. She stood up and cracked her knuckles. "Come on, let's find something else to do," she murmured, walking to the counter.

"Like what?" Tori asked, walking over to her side. Jade put an arm around her and held up a pizza menu.

"We could have a night in. Take-out and a movie," she suggested. "Lots of snoodles on the sofa."

Tori couldn't help but giggle at Jade's use of the word "snoodle". "Okay" she smiled, but can we get changed first? I wanna get into something more comfortable."

Jade returned the smile and nodded. "I was thinking the same thing," she said. "Since we're not going anywhere we may as well get changed into our pyjamas." She motioned towards the staircase. "I'll go upstairs and change, are you alright down here?"

Tori nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine." Jade leaned towards her and gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'll be quick."

* * *

Jade stood staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror with disgust. She felt worthless, disgusting, _ugly. _Those monsters had made her hate everything about herself. She couldn't _stand _the sight of herself anymore. She'd always had issues with how she looked, but now...

Jade picked up a shampoo bottle from the edge of the bathtub and threw it at the mirror, screaming.

* * *

Tori had just begun to take her shoes off when she heard glass shattering, and a scream come from upstairs. She raced to the bathroom and found Jade on her knees, crying.

"Jade, what's wrong?" she demanded, kneeling beside the dark-haired woman. She put her arms around her and helped her stand.

"I just...I...I can't..." Jade choked on her words. Tori led her to the bedroom and sat her down on the bed, taking a seat beside her. She began wiping away the woman's tears with the sleeves of her jumper.

"Calm down Jade," Tori soothed, "just tell me what's wrong."

"I hate myself," Jade blurted out. Tori's eyes widened.

"What?" she whispered. "Why?"

"They made me feel so worthless, Jade cried, "useless. Pathetic. _Ugly_. I _hate _what I see in the mirror. They destroyed _everything._ I can't even _look _at myself without wanting to throw up." More tears began to fall.

Jade continued. "All of these scars...The hell I've been through...Who could ever love me? Who would _ever _think I was beautiful? I'm nothing. I'm no one." Jade let her head fall. "I don't deserve happiness."

Tori felt tears stinging her own eyes. Was that _truly _how Jade felt? Had those monsters made her feel so worthless that she couldn't see how special she really was? Tori felt anger rise in her chest. How _dare_ they do this to Jade? How _dare _they make her feel unloved? And now she thought she wasn't _beautiful_?

It was time Tori reminded her.

"Jade," Tori whispered, taking her girlfriend's hands, "listen to me. Whatever those assholes made you believe, they're wrong." Jade looked over at her, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"Beauty has nothing to do with looks Jade," Tori continued. "In my opinion, it's who you are as a person, and how you make others feel about themselves. And the way you make me feel Jade..." Tori locked eyes with the raven-haired woman. "You're beyond beautiful. You're a goddess."

Jade's eyes filled with tears. "Tori..."

"Don't ever let anyone tell you you're not beautiful," Tori said quietly, touching Jade's cheek. She leaned closer towards her. "They're wrong," she whispered against her lips. "They're so, so wrong."

Tori brought their lips together, and Jade's arms instinctively wrapped themselves around the half-latina's neck. She pulled herself closer and parted her lips, allowing Tori's tongue to enter. A soft moan escaped her as Tori pushed forwards and lay her on her back. She didn't try to fight it. This was it. This was the moment she'd been waiting her whole life for. She wanted Tori more than anything in this world. And laying beneath the brunette, whose hands were wrapped around her waist as she kissed her so passionately and yet so gently, she knew she felt the same. It didn't matter that she'd been subjected to hours upon hours of violent torture and sexual abuse all those years ago. It didn't matter that she'd tried killing herself twice because she thought it was the only way to escape the monsters who had made her life a living hell. It didn't matter that the voices in her head were telling her right now that Tori was lying, that she didn't really believe she was beautiful. Because when their lips parted and Tori looked into her eyes, smiling, Jade knew that every word she'd ever spoken to her was the absolute truth.

"I love you Jade," Tori breathed against her neck.

"Make love to me," Jade whispered, pulling her in for another kiss.

* * *

"Oh my God," Tori gasped, laying on her back. "That was...it was so..."

"Beautiful?" Jade offered, struggling for breath. Tori rolled onto her side and touched Jade's face.

"Not as beautiful as you though," she whispered, turning the woman's face to look at her. Her smile lit up her whole face, and Jade felt tears spring to her eyes as she smiled back.

"You're so amazing Tori," she murmured, reaching out a hand to brush the hair from Tori's eyes.

"And you're so beautiful," Tori smiled, stroking her cheek. Jade felt her cheeks turn red.

"How many times are you gonna keep saying that?" she asked.

"Until you believe it," Tori answered, giving her a soft kiss. Jade reached her free hand up and held Tori's hand to her face.

"I believe you," she said, locking pale green eyes to deep brown. "After what you just did, I'll never doubt a single word you say ever again."

"Oh Jade..." Tori sighed.

"I'll always love you Tori," Jade whispered, rolling over to fully face the half-latina. Tori pulled her hand from Jade's face and wrapped her arms around the pale-skinned woman, pulling her close.

"And I will _always _love you Jade," she spoke quietly, pressing her lips to the woman's hair. Jade closed her eyes and rested her head against Tori's chest. For the first her life, she truly felt beautiful. For the first time in her life, she felt safe. And for the first time in her life, she felt like she could face down anything.

As long as Tori Vega was by her side.

* * *

**In my defence, I didn't come up with the Scrabble idea. It was Jade and Tori, up in my head, after I said "now improvise a scene where..." Remind me never to ask them to improv again ;)**

**Okay, first of all, I wanna say a huge thank you to all of my readers. You guys are the reason I'm still here writing today. If it wasn't for all of your beautiful reviews, I'd have given up on this stuff ages ago. You all make me so darn happy, and I know I'm gonna sound cheesy here, but every time I get a review I get this stupid little grin on my face, which grows bigger and bigger as I'm progressing through what you've all written.**

**Second, I want to give a MASSIVE shout-out to my biggest fans: **

**Metatron85, Lushcoltrane, PenNamesAreThereForAReason, PowerPlayer2010, Sisi427, and my newest addition, shadowhunterakira**

**Your positive words and constant support keep me going through some of the not-so-good times in my life. You've all managed to keep me on track and inspired me on so many levels (I'm looking at you Metatron85). You're truly the greatest fans a writer could ever ask for.**

**And, just because I can, even though they will probably never, ****_ever _****read this, I wanna make a shout-out to the two beautiful women who helped this story come into existence in the first place: Liz Gillies and Vic Justice. They're the whole reason Jori even exists (well, no, technically it's Dan Schneider but whatever. We'll skip the technicalities). Not only that, but these two women (and their characters) have over the last year, inspired me to become a much better, more confident person. I'm still far from being 100%, but I'm a lot more comfortable in my skin now than I used to be, and it's primarily because of them. So thanks girls :) **

**Anyway, enough talk from me. I'm gonna take a short break now to spend some time with the bestie, and I'll return later tonight (Australia time) to post the final 5 chapters.**

**Stay tuned :)**


	30. Chapter 30

When Jade woke up the next morning, Tori was still sound asleep. The sunlight cast a soft glow on her tanned skin, and Jade found herself admiring the beauty that was her girlfriend. She reached out a hand and gently brushed her fingers across the woman's collarbone, and down her chest, remembering the way it had felt when the half-latina's body was pressed against her own. The warmth of her skin, the softness of her touch. The taste of her lips. The look in her eyes as she had undressed the raven-haired woman ever so gently. Nothing had been rushed. Tori had taken her time, making sure every moment was perfect. And _oh_, was it _perfect_.

Jade felt her cheeks burn as the memories continued to flood her mind. No one had _ever _looked at her that way before, not even Beck. This was different. The way Tori had looked at her as if she were the most beautiful creature to walk the Earth...It was as if she'd known all along that they would be together. And in that very moment, Jade knew: Tori was the one. She took her breath away with every touch, made her heart soar with every kiss. When she was with Tori, she felt free.

She was the woman of her dreams, the love of her life. Her everything.

She was her soulmate.

And Jade would never give herself to another the way she had given herself to Tori last night.

Tori had been holding the key to Jade's heart for eight years without even realising it. Two thousand, nine hundred and twenty two days later, she had finally unlocked it, and Jade had never felt more alive. She felt a smile creep onto her face as Tori's eyelids fluttered open.

"Morning beautiful," she murmured, touching the half-latina's cheek.

"Look who's talking," Tori answered sleepily, pulling Jade towards her. Jade snuggled into her, never wanting to leave the warm comfort of her embrace.

"How'd you sleep?" Jade whispered into the brunette's hair. Tori's arms tightened around her.

"I dreamt about you," Tori said in an equally low voice. "We were making sweet, passionate-"

"Don't say it," Jade groaned, burying her face in the woman's shoulder.

"Why not?" Tori asked. Jade sighed.

"Because if you do, it'll make me want you again, and we have to get up shortly," she answered.

"Says who?" Tori questioned. "It's not like we have to be anywhere."

As if on queue, Tori's phone began ringing.

"Damn, you just had to jinx it didn't you?" Jade teased as Tori pulled away from her and rolled over to pick her pants up from the floor.

"Shut up," Tori laughed, pulling her phone out of the pocket. "It's Trina."

"Tell her I'm naked and waiting for you, so you can't talk for long," Jade said with a smirk.

"Shh," Tori hissed, swinging behind herself to hit Jade in the arm. "Hey Trina, what's up?" Her eyebrows raised and she turned to look at the dark-haired woman beside her.

"What?" Jade mouthed. Tori held up a hand.

"Sure, we'll be over soon," she said, before hanging up.

"What was that all about?" Jade asked, sitting up. Tori set the phone down beside her.

"Vanessa wants us back over at our place," she answered, sliding out of bed.

"Why?"

Tori began pulling on a shirt. "She's calling an emergency group meeting. She wants you to tell the others what happened."

* * *

"So, why are we here?" Robbie asked, leaning against the back of the sofa with his arms crossed.

"Because apparently I'm supposed to be telling you all why I left," Jade answered, walking through the door. Tori followed behind, holding her hand. "Thanks for the heads-up Vanessa."

"Sorry, it was kind of a last-minute decision," Vanessa apologised, looking sheepish.

"It's fine," Jade sighed. "You're all here now so I don't really have a choice." She looked around the room at her friends. "I don't wanna waste your time."

"Actually, we're not all here yet," Beck spoke up, raising his hand. "I called a few other people I thought might've been important."

Jade looked at him with confusion. "Who-"

A knock at the door cut off her words. Trina ran over and opened it, and Jade stood staring at her mother.

"Mom?" Jade whispered in disbelief. Mary Jones stared wide-eyed at the daughter she'd been missing for so long.

"Jade? Is it really you?" she asked, racing over to her. She pulled the raven-haired girl into her arms and held her close.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed, crying into Jade's shoulder. Jade held her mother tightly as her own tears began to fall.

"I've missed you too Mom," she sniffed, leaning into her. Mary kissed her on the forehead and stepped away from her.

"Where have you been Jade?" she asked worriedly. "I looked _everywhere _for you."

"I-"

"Knock knock, is anybody home?"

Jade froze. That voice, it couldn't be...

She turned towards the door.

_'No...'_

Jade took a step back, running into Tori. The brunette took hold of her arm, steadying her.

"What's wrong?" she whispered into Jade's ear. Jade began to shake. Her skin was crawling. She had the sudden desire to crack every knuckle on her hand until they snapped or turned to dust. But most of all, she wanted to _run_.

"Jade?" her mother asked, touching her shoulder. Jade shook her head.

"Jade, what's wrong?" Tori repeated, squeezing her arm.

"It's them," Jade said shakily, her voice low enough that only Tori could hear.

Three figures walked through the doorway. They looked exactly as Jade remembered. Dark, sandy and blonde-haired. Sadistic, sick and insane. Father, son and wife.

Her kidnappers, rapers, and torturers.

Her father, brother, and stepmother.

Andrew, Jacob, and Claire West.

* * *

**Well there you have it. We've now got the identities of Jade's three abusers. You shocked?**

**I know a lot of you managed to guess at least ****_one_**** of the three pretty quickly, some of you were able to work out two. But ****_none _****of you were able to identify the third and final member of the trio. What's gonna happen now? What will Jade's reaction be? What will the others do when they find out?**

**Stay tuned.**

**(And yes, for anyone who noticed, Jade counted the days ;) )**


	31. Chapter 31

**Wow. You're all coming out now aren't you hey? I've been noticing reviews from some new readers (or readers who have been following from the start but haven't reviewed until now), which is absolutely incredible. Some of the things you guys have been saying...It's absolutely astonishing. I'm so blessed to have all of you amazing people following this journey with me. I've even had some readers calling me their 'idol' or 'inspiration'. To be on the receiving end of feedback like that, when you don't exactly have a lot of faith in yourself, is just mind-blowing. It's absolutely humbling. You guys have no idea just how much your simple words have affected me, in such a positive way. It's helped me to improve my writing skills on levels I never even believed possible. It's made me actually ****_want _****to keep on writing. If I could put myself into a room with all of you, I would hug every single one of you and thank you all individually for giving me the strength to carry on. I love you guys, you're the best :)**

**Sorry this one's short, I promise you the next couple will be longer, and then the finale. Can't believe it's almost over.**

**Let's do this.**

* * *

Jade couldn't move. This just couldn't be happening. There was no _way_ they could be here, standing in front of her, pretending nothing had happened. She tried to run, but her legs remained firmly locked in place. She wasn't going _anywhere_.

"Jade..." Andrew whispered, taking a step towards her with open arms. Jade's legs finally decided to move. She stepped back and pushed Tori behind her.

"Stay the fuck away from me," she growled.

"Jade!" Mary scolded. "He's been worried sick about you."

Jade shot daggers at the man who called himself her father. "Bullshit he has!" she screamed. "He's just pissed because I got away."

Her mother eyes her with confusion. "Away?" she asked. "From what?"

"Jade..." Andrew warned. Jacob and Claire stepped up beside him. Their eyes all held the same message: _don't say a word_. Jade laughed sharply.

"Go ahead and _try_," she hissed, holding Tori behind her. "I _dare _you to try and touch her."

"Jade, what the hell are you talking about?" Beck asked, standing beside Robbie. Vanessa was standing to his left, and she slipped a hand into her pocket.

"Tell them Andrew," Jade said in a low voice, locking eyes with the man, "tell them what you did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Andrew said stiffly. His eyes were burning with fury.

"You fucking liar!" Jade roared, shoving Tori backwards. She stormed towards Andrew and pushed him.

"You ruined my life!" she screamed, pushing him again. "Along with Jacob and that _slut_ you call a wife!"

"Jadelyn!" her mother hissed. "Language." Jade turned on her.

"You all wanna know why I left?" she said, raising her voice. She pointed to Andrew. "Ask _that_ asshole. Ask him about how his son and wife helped him kidnap me on Graduation night. Ask him how they all took turns _raping _and _torturing _me, injecting me with adrenaline so I couldn't pass out." She turned back to face the three monsters. "How _pissed _they were when I broke out before they could come back and do it all again. How they _threatened _to kill each and every one of you if I told a soul." She nodded towards Andrew. "_He _told me he'd put Tori through the same hell as _me_ before he killed her, if I told anyone what had happened. But that's not even the best part. Ask them _why_ they did it. Jacob will tell you, won't you? She looked at the sandy-haired boy, who was staring at her blank-faced. "He'll tell you it was because I chose _Mom's _side after the divorce. I chose her over _him_, as far as he's concerned. He thought I loved him less than her. Well guess what?" She poked the boy in the chest. "Now I _hate _you. So I guess your plan backfired. Trying to _force _someone to love you..." She shook her head. "You have no _idea _what love is."

She turned back to face her friends. "I had myself committed to a psych ward for three out of the last five years, just so they couldn't find me. I almost killed myself _twice _because I thought it was the only way to escape them completely. You wanna blame someone for me leaving?" She swept a hand towards the three Wests. "Blame those three. They're the _real _monsters."

Jade stepped back and slipped an arm around Tori , shielding her from Andrew and the other two. Everyone had looks of shock on their faces. Cat was crying. Beck looked ready to commit murder. Robbie's jaw hung open, and Andre was staring at her wide-eyed. Her mother looked like she wanted to believe her, but at the same time wasn't willing to accept it.

"Andrew," she whispered, looking at her ex-husband, "is it true?"

Andrew simply smiled.

"Yeah, it's true" he said dryly, crossing his arms. "But there's nothing any of _you _can do. All of the evidence is gone." Mary gasped and began to cry.

A small laugh sounded from beside Beck.

"Who needs evidence when you have a _voice recorder_," Vanessa spoke, holding up a small device. "I'm sure there'll be _plenty _the _cops _can do when I give them this."

Andrew's eyes widened in horror. He took hold of Claire and Jacob's hands and led them towards the door. Andre, Beck and Robbie stood in front of him, crossing their arms. He turned back around and came face-to-face with Trina.

"Oh shit," he muttered.

* * *

**Yeah, wow. ****_Really _****short chapter. Sorry!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Special thanks to the band Bring Me The Horizon. Check out their new album 'Sempiternal'. I've just bought it, after a couple of days of feeling like absolute crap, and it, along with all of your reviews, has picked me up instantly. And then add to that the first chapter of a brand new fic from the life-saving Metatron85...Yep, life is good. If you haven't already, go and check out 'Is Your Love Strong Enough?' It's the sequel to Edge (which I hope you've all gone and read).**

**Okay guys, there's something I need to say. I've just had someone leave me a review with some complaints about the way I go about my stories. Apparently my fast updates are "annoying", and I've been told by the same person to change my pen name. Ok, first of all, no. I refuse to change my pen name on here. That name came from song lyrics that are incredibly important to me, and if you had any idea what I'd been through, and actually took the time to listen to it, you'd understand where I was coming from (if you actually want to go listen to it, it's called Youngbloods by The Amity Affliction). Second, the reason I update so fast is because I'm not on here often, due to the fact that I have to use my best friend's computer to make updates, so when I actually ****_am _****here, I try to give my readers as much as possible to make up for my absence. You guys have to wait around 2, sometimes 3 weeks, for new chapters. I don't find that fair. So, multiple updates. I'm only here for a couple of days at a time. I don't even ****_sleep _****when I'm here, because I just wanna get these damn chapters out for you all. I push myself to the ****_limits_**** to make these stories engaging, enjoyable, and as real and relatable as possible. So to that person who complained, step off. Just because I hold my fans close to my heart and seek to make them happy, doesn't give you the right to try and drag me down and make me feel awful about myself. To all of my other fans/readers, sorry for my rant. It just really got to me. Don't be mad, please.**

**Only 3 more chapters to go.**

**Let's do this.**

* * *

The trial lasted for two years. Apparently it would've been shorter, if two other victims hadn't come forth and spoken against them. Turned out Jade wasn't the only one who'd been subjected to hell by Andrew and his partners in crime. One of the girls had been another Hollywood Arts students, a year younger than Jade. A month after Jade had disappeared, they had kidnapped the girl and put her through three days of sexual abuse, before releasing her and searching for another. In her statement, the girl spoke of Andrew threatening the life of her family and friends, much as he'd done to Jade.

_'What a gutless bastard,' _Jade had thought as she sat beside Tori. Tori never let go of her hand the whole time, except for when the woman had to go up to the stand and give her testimony.

The third girl to speak was actually the sister of a Northridge girl who had been abused by the Wests. Only she hadn't made it out alive. After being locked in the basement for two days, she'd tried to make a run for it. Claire had been the one to deliver the killing blow, stabbing her repeatedly in the neck and chest. The girl hadn't reported her sister missing because she believed she'd come back- apparently she went missing for long periods of time often. It wasn't until months later, not long before Jade had returned, that she'd realised something was wrong. Her sister was reported missing, and the body was found a few days after Andrew, Claire and Jacob had been arrested for their crimes against Jade. The only link they had between them and the murder was the victim's sister saying that she'd seen a man matching Andrew's appearance speaking to her outside the high school the day before she'd disappeared. Claire admitted to the murder, saying that she enjoyed it and didn't care what anyone else thought. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. Andrew had the same fate. They were labelled "menaces to society."

When Jacob stood up to speak, he made up some sob story about how he'd been suffering from severe depression after Mary and Andrew's divorce, and that that had been the reason he'd acted the way he had. The idiot contradicted himself however, when he said that he'd "enjoyed" raping his victims, and that he'd "do it again" if he had the chance. The judge showed no leniency. Jacob West was also sentenced to a life behind bars, and was told- by the judge _himself_, who was clearly on the side of the three victims- that he hoped he rotted in hell. "I know I could lose my job saying that," he had spoken, "but it would be worth it."

* * *

"_In other news, pop sensation Tori Vega has done it again. Her new single 'You're The One,' featuring R&B singer and brother-in-law Andre Harris, has reached number one in ten countries, just three weeks after its release. Sources say she's the next Katy Perry.'_

"Are you recording this?" Jade asked, sitting on the sofa beside Tori in their apartment. She draped an arm across her shoulders and picked up the TV remote. Tori sighed.

"Do you really have to record _every _new report about me?" she challenged, sinking into the cushions.

Jade looked across at her. "Am I not _allowed _to be proud of my girlfriend?" she teased, tapping Tori on the nose with the remote. Tori giggled.

"Of course you're allowed to be proud," she answered, "just don't record everything."

"Why not?"

"Because," Tori said, it fills up the memory and then I can't record _Celebrities Underwater_."

Jade laughed beside her. "Haven't we discussed this? _Celebrities Underwater _sucks because-"

"They make you think the celebrities are gonna drown and then they never do." Tori smiled at her. "You've told me before.

Jade winked. "Exactly."

"Doesn't mean _I _don't like the show," Tori said, poking her tongue out. She snatched the remote from Jade's hand.

"Speaking of..."

Jade groaned.

"Oh man..."

* * *

After a painful hour of watching celebrities _not _drown, Jade turned to Tori.

"I can't believe I've put up with watching this show for two years," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"I can't believe I've put up with dating _you _for two years," Tori muttered, smiling.

"Ouch," Jade laughed, placing a hand over her heart.

"You know I was joking," Tori smirked, picking up the remote again. "Oh hey. I've got another episode to watch."

"No!" Jade shouted, lunging at her. Tori fell backwards, holding the remote as far from her as possible. Jade landed on top of her and began wrestling her for control of the TV.

"Give it here!" she growled playfully, dodging Tori's hand that was swinging at her.

"Never!" Tori laughed.

"Don't make me _make _you give it back," Jade warned.

"Ooh I'm so scared," Tori giggled. "What are you gonna do, _tickle _me to death?"

Jade smirked and wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"I just might do that," she threatened, holding her hands out in front of her, "with a little help from my two friends" the _tickle bunny twins_!"

Tori squealed as Jade began tickling her ribs, waving her arms around.

"Jade...stop it," she said, unable to control her laughter.

"Not until you give me the remote," Jade answered sweetly, straddling her. Tori gave her a playful shove and Jade's leg slipped out from underneath her. She crashed to the floor, bringing Tori with her. This time, _Tori _landed on top. The two girls lay still for a moment, breathing heavily, looking into each others' eyes.

"How about we go out for dinner instead?" Jade suggested.

* * *

Jade was nervous. Why? What did she have to be nervous about? They were only eating dinner. Why was she so nervous? It wasn't like she had anything _special _planned or anything.

"Jade, what's wrong?"

Wrong? What was wrong? Nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. Why would Tori think something was wrong?

"Jade, you're sweating."  
"I don't sweat." Jade West never sweats. Never. Not ever. Not even when she's nervous. Not that she _was _nervous.

"Jade, seriously, what's wrong?" Tori asked, reaching a hand across the table to touch her hand. "You're shaking."

"I'm _fine_," Jade said quietly, scratching her arm with her free hand.

"Is it because of the trial?" Tori pressed. Two days had passed since the trial had finally ended, and Andrew and the other two monsters had been locked up for good. Was jade suffering aftershock?

Jade looked at her. "Those assholes have been locked up forever," she murmured. "I'm over the fucking moon actually. It's just..."

"What?" Tori whispered. Jade sighed and stood up. She threw a fifty dollar bill on the table.

"Come on, let's go."

* * *

The car ride was silent. Jade's eyes remained focused on the road the whole time. When they pulled up in front of Hollywood Arts, Tori was confused. When Jade stepped out of the car without saying a word, Tori was even _more _confused. She got out of her side and walked over to Jade.

"What's going on Jade?" she asked, touching her shoulder.

"I dunno if I can do this," Jade muttered to herself. Tori let her hand fall.

"Jade, what are you talking about?" Now she was worried. Jade met her eyes.

"I don't wanna call you my girlfriend anymore."

Tori took a step back in shock. "Y-you're...you're breaking up with me?" She took another step back and Jade caught her hand.

"Tori, wait," she said, "please just hear me out."

"I don't think I wanna," Tori mumbled, pulling her hand away.

"Seriously, please," Jade begged. "It wasn't meant to come out like that."

"Then how _was _it supposed to come out?" Tori challenged. Jade sighed.

"Like this," she began. "Tori, this is the place where I first fell in love with you. And not a single day has gone by where I don't think about the first time I laid eyes on you. You were so beautiful, so innocent..." She swallowed hard. "I know I had to have you. Eight years later, I finally got the girl of my dreams, and she was even _more _beautiful than she was when I first met her, which I never thought could ever be possible." She gave Tori a half-smile. "Two _more _years later, we're still standing strong. You've been through so much, and yet you still shine brighter than any other star in the sky. I'll be standing in line at the supermarket in morning, buying pancakes for you to have when you wake up, and people will be looking over my shoulder at you on my phone, asking me if that's Tori Vega, the singer. Then when I tell them "yes, and I'm her girlfriend," they look at me like I'm a psycho-obsessed fan. Which I guess I kinda am, but that's not the point." Jade stepped forward and took the half-latina's hands in her own.

"I don't want them to look at me thinking I'm a liar," she said, "squeezing Tori's hands. "I want them to look over my shoulder and instead of seeing a beautiful woman on stage singing at her first ever sold-out show, I want them to see that same beautiful woman in her wedding dress with my arms around her, looking like the happiest woman alive, and then look back up at me and say "you're a lucky woman, snagging that hottie."."

Tori laughed, as tears began to fall down her face.

"I don't want to call you my girlfriend anymore..." Jade said, stepping away from her. She pulled a small box from her jacket pocket and got down on knee, opening it.

"...because I'd much rather call you my wife."

Tori gasped. A silver ring sat in the small cushion of the box. A large sapphire sat in the middle of it, with a diamond on either side. It was absolutely beautiful. Tori met Jade's eyes, which were beginning to fill with tears.

"Tori Vega," she whispered, "will you make my dreams come true and marry me?"

Tori stood staring at her in shock. She was at a loss for words.

"Well, say something," Jade said, shuffling on her knee.

"That was the longest proposal I've ever heard."

Jade mentally facepalmed. "Forgive me for being nervous."

"I don't know what to say..." Tori said quietly.

"Just say "yes" already!" Jade shouted. "It's cold out here and my leg's falling asleep."

"Okay, okay, yes!" Tori laughed, helping Jade stand.

"Really?" Jade asked.

"Yes," Tori whispered, holding out her hand. "Now hurry up and put a ring on it." Jade shook her head and tried not to laugh as she slid the ring onto Tori's finger. Tori held up her hand and observed the shining jewels.

"They're so beautiful," she breathed.

"Just like you."

Tori looked over at Jade, who was watching her with pure adoration. She smiled, and her whole face lit up. Tori watched as the spark returned to her pale-green eyes. She'd never seen the woman look so _happy_ before.

"Come here you," Tori said, pulling her in for a kiss.

* * *

When they broke apart, Tori gave Jade a mischievous grin.

"I can't _wait _to see the look on Trina's face when we tell her this."

* * *

**Woo! Wedding time! Gonna break it into two part for the finale, because...Well you'll see. I'm getting all emotional now :')**

**Watch this space :)**

**Love you guys 3**


	33. Chapter 33

**Ok, here it is. The Finale, part 1. I can't believe it's almost over...**

**I happened to notice a slight spelling error in the previous chapter, that some of you may have picked up on. In one part, I accidentally wrote "Andre" instead of "Andrew". I've fixed that mistake, just in case some of you were reading it and getting confused. ANDRE IS NOT THE BAD GUY.**

**I'm kind of at a loss for words at the moment, so just read on.**

* * *

_6 months later..._

"Oh my God Tori, you look beautiful," Holly whispered with tears in her eyes. Tori smiled at her.

"Thanks Mom."

Tori looked at her mother with pride. The woman had come a long way in the last two and a half years. After being gone for almost a year, Holly had returned to the Vega household, apologising for everything and begging for forgiveness. She swore she'd never meant to hurt anyone, and that it wasn't Tori's fault that David had died. She'd finally woken up to herself and realised that the only one to blame was the man who had shot her husband dead in the first place. Not Tori, not Trina, and not herself. Sisters Vega- and Jade by default, along with Andre- agreed to forgive Holly if she cleaned herself up and got the help she needed.

She'd now been sober for almost two years.

"I'm so proud of you Tori," mother Vega choked, fighting back tears. She didn't want to ruin her make-up on her daughter's special day. "My little girl's all grown up and getting married."

"Don't start crying Mom," Tori laughed, "you'll make _me_ cry."

Holly joined in the laughter. "Trina and the others are waiting in the car for us," she said, holding out her hand. "You ready to go?"

Tori slipped her gloved hand into her mother's and nodded.

"Don't want to keep my bride waiting."

* * *

"Oh my God, where the fuck _is _she?"

"Jade," Mary warned.

"I know, I know, _language_," Jade snapped, making air quotes. "But seriously, where is she?"

Jade was standing at the altar, with her mother, Beck, Cat and Robbie, tapping her foot furiously.

"Relax," the dark-haired marriage celebrant said calmly. "It's standard tradition for the bride to be late."

"I'm a bride, and _I'm _not late," Jade argued. Beck shook his head, chuckling.

"She's got a point there Nate," Mary pointed out, touching her boyfriend's arm. Of all the people she'd chosen to date, she had to go for the marriage celebrant. Wouldn't _their_ wedding be interesting?

_'Do I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife? I sure do. Do you take me to be your husband?'_

_'I do.'_

_'I now declare us man and wife. I may now kiss my bride.'_

Jade snickered at the thought.

"Yeah, well..." Nathan considered, "she acts like more of a dude than Tori, so..."

"Did I mention how pretty you look in that robe Nate?" Jade teased. Nathan's cheeks turned red and he straightened up.

"Face your back to the crowd Jade," he directed. Jade glared at him.

"Why?"

"Because you like a retard," the man stated dryly. "What do _you _think? Tori's just arrived. You're not allowed to look at her until the music starts." Jade felt her heart rate increase. Tori was here? She heard murmurs from the crowd and turned her head slightly.

"Jade, no peeking!" Nathan hissed. Jade sighed and turned on her heel, facing him. She held her arms out.

"_Happy _now?"

"_Somebody's _moody today," the man smirked.

"I'm nervous okay?" Jade whispered. "Just shut up." Nathan mimed zipping his lip and Jade shook her head. She loved the guy, but he could be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Kinda like Tori, Jade figured And speaking of, the music had begun to play.

"Dum, dum, dum dum," Nathan hummed, winking at her. Jade shot him another glare.

"You can turn around now," he said quietly.

"About time," Jade muttered.

She turned around and froze at the sight before her.

Tori walked towards her, wearing the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen. Sleeveless, strapless and white, with a row of silver sequins along the top. Simple, but effective. Jade couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was no veil on the half-latina's face, much to Jade's delight. It meant she could see the woman's beautiful face without having to squint.

Tori stepped up beside her, and turned to face her with a huge smile on her face. Trina, Andre, Vanessa and Holly assembled behind her, the women looking amazing in their pale blue sash dresses, Andre looking handsome in his tuxedo. Jade's side looked much the same, only hers had more tuxes. Jade breathed a sigh of relief. They were all here. She smiled at her soon-to-be wife.

"You look so beautiful," she murmured. Tori blushed.

"So do you," she whispered, eyeing the woman's navy blue gown. It was almost identical to the half-latina's, only Jade's had frills at the bottom and no sequins at the top. Both women wore long gloves which matched the colours of their dresses, and Tori had a white rose in her hair. Jade had put blue extensions in her dark locks for the occasion. In short, they looked stunning.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness..."

_'Yeah yeah.' _Jade found herself tuning out, losing herself in Tori's eyes. It wasn't until Nathan spoke her name that she paid attention again.

"The girls have chosen to write their own vows. Jade, do you wanna read yours first?"

Jade nodded. "Sure." She reached into the front of her dress and pulled out a folded up sheet of paper.

"Bras," she said. "Never leave home without them ladies."

There was a collective laughter from the crowd, followed by a "you go girl!" from her aunt Susan, which made everyone laugh more.

"Alright, calm your tits everyone," Jade ordered, holding up a hand.

"Jade," Tori hissed. Jade looked at her.

"What? It's my wedding, I'll say what I want."

"It's my wedding too."  
"Shh..." Jade whispered, holding a finger to her lips. This caused a few more chuckles from everyone. Jade smirked and unfolded her sheet of paper. She began to read.

"I, Jadelyn Elizabeth West, promise to love you forever and a day. That extra day is non refundable, nor can it be exchanged for cuddles, kisses, or any other recreational activity you may deem to be acceptable. It also cannot be exchanged for pancakes."

Cat snorted behind her.

"Ha ha, pancakes," she giggled. Jade smiled and continued reading.

"I do, however, promise to make you pancakes whenever you want, no matter what time of the day it is. I also promise to attempt to learn how to make them from scratch, instead of the processed re-heatable crap. Unless you like the re-heatable ones, in which case ignore my last promise. Unless you want both. Then you can reinstate that promise. I also promise to sit and watch _Celebrities Underwater_ with you and _not _complain when they don't drown. As irritating as that may be sometimes, I _will _keep my word. You may have noticed I'm a little bit nervous, don't point it out, or I'll start sweating. I know I once said that I don't, but I do, especially when I'm nervous. Remember the night I asked you to marry me? Yeah, sweat. Ew. I really don't wanna ruin this dress."

Tori laughed and shook her head. _'Oh Jade...'_

"On a more serious note," Jade said, handing the paper to her mother and taking Tori's hands, "I promise to always stand by your side, through thick and thin, no matter what life throws at us. When you smile, I'll smile. When you cry, I'll hold you tightly and wipe away your tears. I'll also beat up the mo-fo who made you cry," she added at the end. "When you're sick, I'll stay with you and rub your tummy until you feel better. When you're scared, I'll remind you that no one is as scary as me. I'll always do my absolute best to make sure you're always happy. And when you're standing on top of the world... She winked at Tori. "I'll be right beside you making sure you don't fall."

Tori's eyes filled with tears at Jade's final sentence. It was a line from her new song.

"Oh my God Jade..." she whispered. Jade smiled at her.

"I love you Tori," she said aloud. "And I feel like the luckiest woman in the world knowing you love me too."

There was a collective "aww" from everyone in the room.

"Oh shut up," Jade laughed, looking at them. Nathan cleared his throat.

"That was so _adorable _Jadey," he teased, clasping his hands together. Before Jade could retaliate, he said, "Tori, do you wanna read _your _vows?"

The brunette shook her head. "I think Jade blew my vows out of the water," she joked. She looked at Nathan expectantly. "Can we just get married now?"

Trina snickered.

"That's the same thing I said at _my _wedding," she said. Nathan chuckled.

"Sure thing Toro," he answered, saluting. He turned to Jade. "Jade, do you take Tori to be your-"

"Yes, yes, I do. Now cut to the chase," she interrupted. Her mother shook her head.

"Okay, Tori," Nathan continued, "do you-"

"Yes!" Tori shrieked, making everyone laugh. Again. Nathan sighed.

"Righto, slip your rings on each other," he ordered. Jade and Tori both removed their left gloves, and Jade took a silver band from the cushion Robbie was holding. She slid it onto Tori's finger, and the brunette followed suit. Tori pulled her glove back on, and Jade repeated the action, smiling.

"Well then," Nathan said, "I guess I now declare you woman and...I mean, I now declare you wife and...Oh, forget it. You're married, now kiss each other!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Jade stepped forward and slid her hand behind Tori's neck, pulling her into a kiss. Tori wrapped her arms around her neck and stood on her tiptoes, pressing herself closer into Jade. The crowd cheered and Jade made a fist in the air. Jade lowered her hand and placed it on Tori's waist. She gently broke the kiss and looked down at Tori with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Congratulations, Mrs. West," she grinned.

* * *

**Part 2 coming soon :) Not much longer peeps.**


	34. Chapter 34

**So here we are. The Finale part 2. The end. I can't believe we're finally here. I think I need to get out the tissues...**

**First off, I'm gonna make some special thank-you's to some special people, and talk a little bit about the story as a whole. Then we'll get into it (I may or may not be stalling just a little).**

**First of all, the title of this story, Never Let Me Go, was named after a damned good song, that really sums up everything that's happened with Jade and Tori (minor spoiler alert: it's featured in this chapter). Credit goes to the band We Came As Romans for making such an amazing track.**

**It's been a wild ride, but you've all stuck with this one, and I'm so thankful. I've broken personal records writing this story, I honestly never thought I'd make it as far as I did. Over 10,000 views, 171 reviews (currently), and a whole lot of follows/favourites...It's out of this world. I've got tears in my eyes. You guys are truly the best. Thanks you all for taking the time to give a small time writer like me a HUGE chance. I promise I won't ever let you guys down. I also want to dedicate the above mentioned song to all of you. You're the best fans in the world. And did I mention I love you all? :) **

**Time for the huge thank-you's (as if there wasn't enough already):**

**Sisi427- You were the one who kicked me in the butt from all the way over in America and told me that I absolutely HAD to share this one with the world. I'm glad I followed your advice, look at where I am now :) Free pancakes for you! :D**

**Lushcoltrane- I always enjoy hearing from you. You've only ever got nice things to say and I admire that. Thank you :)**

**ScottyBgood- Your analysis of everything I write is incredible! You take every little detail in and then present your ideas in such a way that I can't help but wonder if you're reading my mind...**

**greenjadevega- Haven't heard from you in a while, but your dedication has been much appreciated.**

**PenNamesAreThereForAReason- What can I say? You're as hilarious as me. You've helped me out quite a bit with my story writing, and you're always up for a good chat. Please take care of little 'Amazing-ness' for me ;p**

**Invader Johnny- You're such a cool guy. And your ideas are crazy! But in a good way. Thanks for hanging around.**

**shadowhunterakira- My newest fan, but I can tell we'll be great friends. Love your enthusiasm :)**

**PowerPlayer2010- Holy crap, it's like we're twins sometimes! We're as crazy as one another, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Our long and often random conversations always make me laugh. Thanks for your dedication, and all of your amazing reviews, and for just being you :) Gaga forever!**

**And last, but certainly not least, quite possibly the greatest person alive, Metatron85. I can't even put into words every single little thing you've done for me, but I'm gonna try. First of all, as I've said before, you're the whole reason I'm here on this site writing stories. You inspired me on such an incredible level, that I just ****_had _****to share my own stories. I wanted to be just like you. And I still do. Every single day I speak to you is a blessing, you've got such a beautiful soul, and a heart and personality to match. You've ****_saved my life_****, and for that I'm eternally grateful. You've truly made me feel as beautiful and loved as Tori did for Jade. Thank you. So much love and respect goes out to you. You're my hero :)**

**And now, I think I've just about said all I've had to. Except for one last little announcement:**

**'Never Let Me Go' ****_will_**** be having a follow-up sequel. You didn't honestly think I was gonna let this one go so soon did you? No way. There's still so much to explore with these two amazing women. I already know what's gonna happen, so stay tuned. I repeat, 'NEVER LET ME GO' WILL HAVE A SEQUEL!**

**And now, finally, the final chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Excuse me everyone, I'd like to propose a toast," Jade said, tapping the microphone. All eyes in the room turned to face her.

_'Well, that was a lot easier than I expected. I guess manners _do _go a long way.'_

"To my new wife," she continued, raising her champagne glass. "I never thought I'd ever be lucky enough to call you mine. It took me almost eleven years, but I never gave up."

Tori smiled at her from her seat. Everyone had migrated to the function room at Nozu for the reception (yes, Nozu had a function room, what a surprise), and were now enjoying their cake. At least, they _were_, until Jade so politely interrupted. No one seemed to mind though.

"I just wanna say something else while I'm up here," Jade added, setting her glass down on one of the speakers. "A lot of you out there right now are probably feeling the same way that I used to, after I left Hollywood. I felt worthless, I felt ugly. I hated waking up every morning and seeing my reflection in the mirror. As far as I was concerned, no one could ever love someone like me. As far as I was concerned, I deserved to die. I deserved to be alone. This girl," she said, pointing at Tori, "proved me wrong. She changed everything. I'd been in love with her right from the word "go", but I never imagined she'd feel the same way. When I came back after being gone for five years, and she accepted me with open arms and a heart full of love, I _knew _she was the one. I'm so lucky to have her. And I promise you all, no matter what it is you're going through, there _will_ be someone out there who will be willing to carry you through it all." She met Tori's eyes across the room. "As long as you're willing to open your heart to them."

Jade took the microphone from its stand and walked over to the DJ, pointing to a page on the book beside him.

"Play that one," she murmured. She turned back to the crowd. "This song is for you Tori. No matter how hard things may get, I'll never let you go."

The music started to play, and Jade raised the microphone to her lips.

_'My body shivers at the thought of getting up_

_My heart is starting to accept that I am giving up_

_No strength left, is it over yet?_

_Am I thinking with my heart or with my head?_

_Through distance, you remind me again_

_Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me go!_

_So hold me close and never let me, never let me go_

_At my lowest of lows, when I need you the most_

_If our lives reversed, it's you who's falling, it's you who's falling first_

_I will hold you close, I will never let you go_

_I will never let you go_

_I will never let you go_

_My hands welcome yours as you begin to save me_

_My heart is starting to accept your rescue completely_

_With this new life that you placed in mine_

_I know that I will make it through to you_

_And in my steps you will follow behind, oh_

_Don't let me go!_

_So hold me close and never let me, never let me go_

_At my lowest of lows, when I need you the most_

_If our lives reversed, it's you who's falling, it's you who's falling first_

_I will hold you close_

_I will never let you go.'_

As the bridge began to kick in, Jade's voice rose, and she screamed the next lines...

_'And if our lives reversed_

_And it's you falling first_

_I will hold you close_

_I'll never let you go_

_And if our lives reversed_

_And it's you falling first_

_I will hold you close_

_I'll never let you go.'_

...And then went back to her normal voice.

_'So hold me close and never let me, never let me go_

_At my lowest of lows, when I need you the most_

_If our lives reversed, it's you who's falling, it's you who's falling first_

_I will hold you close, I will never let you go_

_I will never let you go_

_I will never let you go.'_

The crowd exploded into cheers and applause. Jade was given a standing ovation. She dropped the mic and jumped down from the stage, seeking out her wife. When she found her, she pulled her into her arms and kissed her with everything she had.

"I love you so much Tori," she breathed, planting kisses all over the woman's face and neck.

"I love you too," the brunette giggled.

Jade pulled back and looked at her. Pale-green eyes met chocolate brown.

"What happens now?" Jade asked. A warm smile curled the half-latina's lips.

"I have no idea," Tori answered, kissing the raven-haired woman on the cheek. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together, Mrs. West."

* * *

**One final request guys. I wanna try to hit 200 reviews for this. So please, all of you who have been hiding in the background, please hit review. Special prize for the person who can make the 200th review :)**

**Reaper out.**


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